Cursed Being of Light
by SeekerLuna
Summary: Alexis is a cursed pure being with extremely rare powers. Urahara has a dark secret about her that not even Alexis herself knows. Aizen thinks he knows and captures her, though he doesn't realize that one of his own Espada knows her dark secret...
1. Prologue

kai crazy: No your eyes do not decieve you, I am back with another GrimmjowXOC story! I am currently working on the sequal to Grimmjow's Kitten so do not worry, I have not forgotten about it. So I hope you enjoy this story in the mean time, Grimmjow will be slightly OOC for a bit until I get a real feel for my character Alexis and her relationship with our favorite Sexta Espada. She is also connected to Urahara and some other things...

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, that honor goes to Tite Kubo, who is the most awesome person in the world!

Claimer: I do own Alexis.

* * *

Name: Alexis Trinity

Age: 17

Eyes: Right is a golden amber color, left is ghostly silver with flecks of gold.

Hair: Her hair goes to mid-back with soft waves; bangs are shorter and frame her face. Her hair is silver with a lavender tint.

Body: Alexis is very athletic, does color guard, tan, about 5'5

Clothes: Seen in a pair of jean shorts, keds and any color tank top she can find or a normal t-shirt with a light jacket.

Background: Alexis does not know about herself or her past. She visits Urahara every other week for unknown reasons. Has a scar on her chest.

XxXxXx

Alexis sighed as she entered Urahara Shoten, she had already visited the day before but Urahara had asked that she come again the next day.

"Ah, there you are," Urahara smiled. "We were expecting you," He led her to the back of the shop. Alexis sat down across from the blonde man, her dual colored eyes staring ahead blankly. "How are you feeling today?"

"Better, I'm slowly getting my strength back," She answered, her voice like a silver bell.

"That's excellent," He smiled. "What about your chest? Has it been hurting?"

"Not really, it hasn't bothered me in a few weeks." She gently touched slightly above her left breast, over her heart and sighed.

"That's good to hear," He opened his fan then. "But I need to check to make sure," Alexis sighed again and removed her jacket. Urahara moved to sit beside her after she'd shifted to face him and set his fan aside. "Tessai," He called. The man stepped into the room and nodded as he muttered a kido that would put Alexis into a trance. Once this was done, Urahara laid her back and pressed a hand to her chest, focusing on her heart. "Everything is fine," He announced, snapping the teen from her daze. "Ichigo should be here shortly," The teen nodded, got her jacket and went outside to wait for Ichigo. Said teen appeared about five minutes later, a small smile on his face.

"How'd it go?" He asked as they started to walk.

"Good, as always," She shrugged. Ichigo's smile fell as he looked down at her and his eyes saddened. Ever since he and the others had returned from Soul Society, they'd noticed a change in Alexis. She used to be a happy-go-lucky girl but how she seemed dull and depressed. Urahara had taken a large interest in her, even more so than before and was careful to keep any information about Alexis a secret. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ichigo," Alexis gave a small wave and headed into her house for the night.

XxXxXx

Urahara carefully reviewed the data he'd collected about Alexis over the past 17 years. His eyes narrowed as he reviewed the data from the past three years, focusing especially on the recent years' data.

"It's almost time," He murmured to himself. "Not too much longer," He closed all the folders and locked them away.

XxXxXx

Alexis tossed and turned in her sleep, sweat beading on her forehead as she thrashed about. Her chest was burning! She sat up and clutched at her chest, gasping for air and squeezing her eyes shut. She felt a sudden presence in her room and opened her eyes, immediately locking onto Urahara.

"Ki-Kisuke…" She gasped as the pain continued. The man held out a vial of murky liquid but thought better of it; she was in too much pain to hold the vial.

"Relax, Alexis," He muttered, pouring the vial's contents into her mouth. The teen swallowed and coughed as Urahara straightened up. "Is that better?" The girl nodded as the pain began to fade away. "If it flares up again, get to the shop," Again she nodded as the man left. Alexis lay back on her bed and sighed heavily.

'_Why is this happening to me?'_ She thought pressing a hand to her chest. The silver haired teen closed her eyes and settled back into a more peaceful slumber.

XxXxXx

Foot steps echoed though the empty halls of Las Noches as three ex-Shinigami captain's made their way back to Aizen's private quarters.

"Do ya mind telling us what th' rush is?" The former Squad 3 taicho yawned. The brunette remained silent which slightly annoyed the man. Silence once again fell over the group and before they knew it, they were in the brunette's private rooms. "Sosuke, would ya please explain already?!" Aizen shot him a look that silenced the man and hurriedly retrieved the Hogyoku from its resting place. The sphere was pulsing in a rhythmic pattern, almost like a heart beat.

"What strange behavior…" Tousen commented, sensing the abnormal pulsing energy.

"It's almost as though it's reacting to some outside force," Aizen mused, placing the Hogyoku back in its place. "We will have to monitor these occurrences," The two other Shinigami nodded and were dismissed. Aizen sat in one of his oversized chairs and mulled over what he had seen. _'Perhaps Kisuke Urahara has one more secret that has yet to be revealed?'_ He smiled as he thought of all the possibilities.

* * *

kai crazy: I know, it's short. Forgive me! I actually started this at school because I have one period where we do basically nothing and I have to keep myself busy. So some chapters might be long, others might be short, and I apologize in advance for this. I keep a hectic schedule. Anyway, plz R&R!


	2. Emerging Power

kai crazy: Again, sorry this is short, this chapter was actually typed at school today during 3rd period, which is the class I barely do anything in amazingly. Anyway, enjoy the strangeness of this thing... I guess.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

Claimer: I do however own Alexis.

* * *

Alexis found herself drawn to the park the next day. Something told her that she would encounter someone or something of importance.

"Alexis, right?" The teen looked up at the owner of the voice. It was Shinji Hirako. "What're you doing out here?"

"Something called me here," She told him flatly.

"Is that right?" Shinji tried focusing on Alexis but something was distorting her energy signature. _'What the hell is with this energy distortion?'_ He thought taking a seat next to her.

"Yes, it happens often but I never find anything," She told him. Shinji's arm touched Alexis' and a surge of energy went through the Vizard. He jumped away and clutched at his arm, hissing as his Hollow mask was forced to materialize. Alexis saw this and her dual colored eyes widened in shock. Shinji finally gained control over his power and removed his mask, sighing when the girl fainted.

'_Touching her again is risky,'_ He thought. He pulled his cell phone out and dialed Ichigo's number. "Yo, Ichigo, come and get Alexis. I don't feel like explaining what happened, now get your ass over here." He ended the call and sighed as he sat down away from Alexis.

XxXxXx

Ichigo arrived in the park as Shinji had told him and found Alexis still passed out on the ground.

"What happened?" He demanded of the Vizard.

"My arm brushed hers and she passed out," He answered. Ichigo sighed and got the teen on his back, feeling a slight tingle when he did so. The strawberry quickly hurried back to Urahara's shop and was greeted by the blonde Shinigami himself; though he did not look very pleased.

"Get her inside," He instructed, stepping back to allow the teen into the shop. The deputy Soul Reaper did as he was told without question and was forced to leave once he laid her down. Urahara woke the still shocked girl up and questioned her. "What happened?" He asked her quietly so as to not startle her.

"Shinji touched my arm and something weird happened," she explained with wide eyes.

"Did a mask appear after this occurred?" She nodded and Urahara sighed. "Your powers are awakening early," Alexis' eyes widened even more. "You can no longer be in contact with the outside world, it's too dangerous." As he said this, Urahara stood, his hat shielding his eyes. Tessai appeared next to him and muttered a kido, putting Alexis into a deep slumber of sorts. Urahara gave a heavy sigh as he moved Alexis into a secure room, constructed specifically to contain her and her uncontrollable power. "I made a miscalculation," He muttered. "At least we caught it in time."

"What will you tell her friends?" Tessai questioned, reminding the blonde that Ichigo was still around the shop somewhere. He sent Tessai to fetch him and had some tea made once he returned.

"What's going on? Where's Alexis?" He demanded. "I can't sense her reiatsu anywhere!"

"Ichigo, calm down," The teen pursed his lips. "Alexis can no longer be in contact with anyone on the outside, it's too dangerous." Ichigo gave him a questioning look. "I cannot tell you anymore than that," He saw the teen scowl. "She forced Shinji to Hollowfy," Ichigo's eyes widened. "It would have happened to you had she not been unconscious."

"How is that possible?" Ichigo demanded, growing angry.

"Now is not the time for me to tell you," He glared at the teen. "I will tell you and the others in due time. Now, go home and tell the others that Alexis will no longer be in school." Ichigo merely nodded and left.

XxXxXx (Alexis' Dream)

_Alexis fell into a lake of darkness headfirst, her eyes closed tightly._

'_Am I dying?' She thought, feeling her lungs begin to ache for air. She opened her mouth and released a scream, though to her surprise the sound was heard and she soon realized she could breathe in the dark water. She opened her eyes as she continued to fall through the darkness, squinting when she saw a pale glow below her. Curious, Alexis swam towards it and shielded her eyes when she got close enough to investigate. 'What is that?' She thought, staring at the glowing sphere. One word came to mind as she continued to stare at the sphere: Hogyoku. She dismissed the thought immediately, she had never seen the Hogyoku in her life, nor had she ever heard about it so she found it impossible that she would be dreaming of it. Something began to materialize around the sphere but before she could see what it was, something or someone grabbed her arm and pulled her away._

XxXxXx

"Alexis, there is something we need to talk about," Urahara told her a month into her confinement.

"What is it?" She asked boredly.

"Do you know what the Hogyoku is?" She shook her head and Kisuke gave her a short explanation o what it was and what it was capable of, as well as who currently possessed it.

"What does it have to do with me?" Urahara gave her a grave look and she immediately knew he was going to tell her something she would not like and did not ever want to know about. If this Hogyoku was involved then what he was going to tell her meant that things had just gotten a lot more complicated...

* * *

kai crazy: I bet you've already begun to piece together somethings and if you have, keep it to yourself! Do not spoil it if you think you know what's going on, you'll find out later on, got it? Anyway R&R!


	3. First Contact

kai crazy: Thank you to my lovely reviewer for pointing out a dumb little mistake I made typing up chapter two at school, I will fix it once I find time. Anyway, here's chapter 3, it's a bit longer but I have a longer chapter in the works yet, so worry not!

Disclaimer: You can thank Tite Kubo for making Bleach, I do not own it at all.

Claimer: I do own Alexis though.

* * *

"Alexis, I know you're probably feeling pretty cooped up in here so how would you like to go outside for a while?" Kisuke asked, opening the door of her confinement room. He and Tessai had managed to put a temporary seal on her power sometime ago so it posed no immediate threat to herself or those around her.

"Sure," She smiled wryly. The teen was growing a bit weak from not doing any physical exercise and she missed going to the after school color guard rehearsals that kept her in shape.

"Just remember to avoid anyone with strong reiatsu," She nodded and darted out, glad to have some freedom. Alexis found her way to the park and sat in the grass near the river, smiling despite the dreary weather. With a small groan she began to stretch her stiff muscles, knowing full well that she would be aching later because of how long she'd gone without stretching fully. Once she was done, she lay back in the grass and closed her eyes to relax; enjoying the scents she could smell for the first time in months.

**??? P.O.V**

Damn that bastard Aizen! Why'd I have to be the one to come to the World of the Living?! Why couldn't it have been his little pet Ulquiorra? I hate coming here, and wearing this gigai is fucking ridiculous! I walked past a park and thought I saw something near the river bank, though I brushed the thought off and continued on. A warm scent hit my nose and I stopped, realizing that my mind had not been playing tricks on me and I really had seen something, or rather _someone._ I jogged back and looked down; noting quickly that this someone was a teenage human girl. Odd, her hair was silver, a strange color to be seen here in this world. I looked closer and realized she was sleeping, which was kinda dumb since it was starting to rain, heavily I might add. Aizen had told me that I had to _fit in _while I was here and that meant I had to act more human than usual which had pissed me off to no end. I rolled my eyes and casually walked down to the girl who didn't seem to really notice my presence which I smirked at; this gigai was good for one thing so far.

"Hey, girl, it's starting to rain out here, ya better get up before you get sick or something." I knelt down, scowling at the girl. "Did you hear me?" I sighed, trying my best to keep from growling as I normally would have. The girls' eyes slowly opened and I heard my own breath hitch when our eyes met for the first time. I was drawn into the depths of her dual colored eyes but her voice really got me.

**Normal P.O.V**

Alexis' eyes met steel blue and the sheer ferocity she saw in their depths made her gasp despite the semi-concerned expression on the mans face. The man leaned over more, shielding her face from the rain that was now soaking them both.

"Who are you?" She asked, searching for any trace of strange reiatsu as Kisuke had told her to do. When she got a lock on it, she was shocked to find it weak and suppressed which meant…. "You're not human, are you?" She guessed, looking him straight in the eye.

"What makes you say that?" He asked, his voice never wavering. Alexis searched for anything that might give him away and he seemed to notice this.

"I am no fool, I can sense your reiatsu, it's different from my friends' reiatsu's," She narrowed her eyes up at him.

"Nosey little brat," He growled, losing his gentle façade. Alexis' eyes widened and she scrambled away, nearly hitting the man in the process. She cried out when her foot twisted and fell to the ground, gasping in pain. "Idiot, you shouldn't get up so fast when the grass is wet like this," He snorted and grabbed her ankle before she had a chance to move away. He popped back into place, giving a small satisfied smirk when she released a howl of pain. "What, no 'thank you'?" He asked, not bothering to hide the sarcastic tone behind it.

"A warning would have been nice," She sniffled, vaguely noting that her clothes were entirely soaked.

"Yeah well, you're lucky I even did that," He snapped at her. "If I hadn't you'd have been in a hell of a lot more pain." The teen flinched back and the man instinctively tightened his grip on her leg.

**??? P.O.V**

The brat was already soaked to the bone and shaking, she should have known better than to be outside when the rain chances were so high. I tightened my grip on her leg though it only served to frighten her more, which had not been my intent. I frowned inwardly, I'd only just met her and she was afraid of me. She was hiding something, I could tell, and I think she knew damn well that I would find out what.

**Normal P.O.V**

"We should get somewhere dry," He grunted, suppressing a small shudder from the cold water that was now covering his clothes and flesh.

"I do not know your name," She said stubbornly. It was obvious she would not go anywhere with him until she knew his name.

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez," He told her, smirking slightly. Hiding his real name had seemed pointless so he had refused to take on an alias while in the Living World.

"Alexis Trinity," Grimmjow's smirk widened and he leaned in, releasing her leg.

"You shouldn't give your name out so freely, brat," He chuckled, his lips touching her ear as he spoke. "Especially to strangers you've only just met."

"I trust you," Grimmjow jerked his head back in surprise and their eyes locked. He searched her eyes and saw nothing but truth there and in her words.

"How do you know I won't try something?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I just know," She shrugged, rubbing her throbbing ankle. "Besides, if you had wanted to do something to me, you'd have already done it." Grimmjow snorted and stood up, the girl was either dumb or really brave… or both.

"Let's go already, I don't exactly enjoy being out here," He easily trotted back up the hill without missing a beat or slipping. Alexis pushed herself up and carefully walked up the hill, but unlike Grimmjow she slipped. The teen gasped when she hit the ground, sliding back down the hill, the momentum carrying her into the rushing waters of the river below. The Espada whipped his head around and swore loudly when he heard her shout from the river. Grimmjow easily slid down the hill and dove into the water, slightly surprised by how strong the current was. He searched for any sign of Alexis, swearing when she resurfaced near him, sputtering as she tried to stay above water.

"H-Help me!" She cried before her head disappeared under the water again. Grimmjow swam to her, grabbed her about the waist and pulled her up.

"I can't look away for even a minute without you getting into some sort of trouble, brat!" He growled at her as though they'd known each other their whole lives. Grimmjow fought the current and made it to the bank, pulling himself and Alexis from the water. He collapsed with one arm still draped across her stomach and turned his head to look at her through his quickly fading vision. She had passed out. "You're an idiot," He panted. "You can't even take care of yourself," He muttered before his exhausted body gave out on him.

**XxXxXx**

Alexis gasped and sat up, her eyes frantically darting about the room as she tried in vain to remember what had happened.

"It's okay, you're safe now," The teen jumped and looked at Urahara, who had a slight frown etched onto his face. "Do you remember anything?"

"I-I remember meeting someone and falling into the river but… Some things are really hazy," Alexis clutched at her head, eyes wide.

"You were saved by the most unlikely of people, Alexis," She looked up again at the man. "You were saved by an Arrancar," A gasp escaped her lips and her whole body stiffened. "An Espada to be exact, he was in a gigai which is why your powers had no effect on him; his reiatsu was also severely suppressed so it helped nullify your abilities along with the gigai."

"Why would he…?" She was confused, why had an Arrancar saved her?

"Don't know, but I will tell you that he wasn't keen on my taking you back with me. I'm guessing Aizen sent him here to collect information about the humans in this town and also to keep track of the Shinigami activities as well." Urahara gave her a long look before asking, "What was his name?"

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez," She replied, her voice quivering slightly.

"I see… If you should ever happen to see him again, run. He is not a person you want to associate yourself with, especially because of your abilities." Alexis nodded sadly and lay back once he left. Despite any warnings Kisuke gave her, Alexis wanted to see Grimmjow again, if only to thank him for saving her from drowning that day. With a sigh, the teen went to sleep, stirring only slightly when a now familiar presence passed overhead.

* * *

kai crazy: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, though originally Grimmjow swore quite a bit more than this. I typed this in class so I could not risk extremely bad language, especially since I sit in the front row and all these other kids are behind me, I hope you understand this prediciment (and I can't spell that word worth crap). Anyway R&R, I love you all!


	4. Truth Part 1

kai crazy: Here's chapter 4, another typed during class/at home chapters. I hope you enjoy it, I had been debating over this chapter for some time because of the information it contains about Alexis... This is not the only secret, there are more to come.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or its characters.

Claimer: I do own Alexis though.

* * *

Alexis stared out the window blankly, trying hard to ignore the pain in her chest and the burning sensation in her right eye. She hadn't sensed any of Grimmjow's reiatsu in some time, and to her surprise it bothered her to a certain extent.

'_He's the enemy,'_ She found herself thinking. _'He's a danger to me and the others,'_ The teen bit her lip. _'He looks like a normal human, I still can't believe he's an Arrancar. If that is true… then why would he save me?'_ Alexis was pulled from her thoughts when a loud commotion from the front of the shop reached her ears. She looked towards the locked door of her isolation room, eyes widening when the voices became louder and clearer. She recognized Kisuke's voice but the other was low and she couldn't quite put a name to the voice.

"I know she's in there, now open it!" The low voice growled. Alexis heard Kisuke sigh and the multiple locks of the door began to click as they were opened. The door swung open and the teen jumped to her feet, basically flinging herself up against a wall. The other person was none other than Grimmjow himself. "It's been awhile, brat, how're ya doing?" He gave her a smirk that seemed more predatory than she remembered.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" She forced herself to ask him.

"I came to see if you were safe like the shinigami said you were," He snorted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Thank you for saving me and I appreciate your concern but you must leave," She said quickly, wanting him to leave. Grimmjow's smirk fell and he took a step forward, whipping his head around when Urahara placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Since you are here, I'd like to have a word with you," The man's sunny disposition faded and he looked up at the Arrancar darkly. "But you cannot under any circumstance, repeat this information to Aizen." Grimmjow's eyes widened a fraction. "I know you're here to collect information and that is fine with me so long as you do not start unnecessary fights," The Sexta snorted but nodded anyway. Kisuke shut the door and sat down near Alexis, motioning for Grimmjow to sit as well. "I want you to understand at least this, Alexis is not a normal human, she never has been." Grimmjow looked at the mentioned teen who coughed lightly into her hands.

"What do you mean?" He growled lowly, eyeing the shinigami warily.

"She's a Cursed Pure Being," The Sexta's eyes widened considerably then. "Her powers allow her to evolve or revert, give or take power. A dangerous power if the user does not know how to control it."

"Lemme guess, the brat doesn't know how to right?" Kisuke nodded and continued.

"While in your gigai, she cannot harm you. But there is something else you must know about her," His voice grew darker and more serious. "Contrary to popular belief, I created two Hougyoku's. The first was just so I could cure the Vizard of their Hollowfication, which I failed to do. The second Hougyoku was created around the same time though in secret because I knew Aizen would eventually seek the original for his personal gain; and I was right. The first Hougyoku was hidden, as you may know, inside of a specially modified gigai given to Kuchiki Rukia…"

"What about the second Hougyoku?" Grimmjow felt unease begin to rise in the pit of his stomach.

"I placed it directly inside of a human body," His eyes drifted to Alexis who had fallen back into a fitful rest, her head in Kisuke's lap. "I found her abandoned outside the shop when she was barely a month old, her heart hadn't formed correctly and it almost killed her. Most Cursed Being's have this problem, which is why her kind is so rare to find these days."

"Shouldn't she be dead or something?" Grimmjow frowned, slightly confused.

"On the contrary, the Hougyoku is what is sustaining her life now and has more than likely healed her heart by now. Her body depends on the Hougyoku's power to sustain her life and she would die in a matter of hours should it ever be removed. She is in all sense of the word, a Living Hougyoku."

"Why her though?" The Sexta questioned.

"I couldn't just let the poor girl die," He chuckled. "I needed to hide the Hougyoku and she was the perfect candidate. She knows nothing of her past; she believes she grew up with a loving family that was killed in a car crash a few years back. I only did that for her protection," He sighed then. "She's a daughter to me, I adopted her as my own but I gave her a different name so no one would connect her to me should anything happen."

"Some father you are," Grimmjow snorted.

"Both Hougyoku's have a certain connection, so whenever Aizen awakens the Hougyoku in his possession, he hurts Alexis." Grimmjow frowned t the thought of Aizen indirectly harming Alexis when he created new Arrancar. "She already knows most of what I'm telling you and she's been fighting to control it," Kisuke murmured a hint of sadness in his voice. "It's made her weak and she's been ill for the past week." The shinigami gently stroked Alexis' back, rubbing in soothing circles. "She'll awaken at the same time as her 'twin', though to you it may seem like she is awakening faster than that."

"Why's that?"

"Any accidental usage of her actual power will automatically activate her Hougyoku enhanced powers, a stronger version of her original powers if you will. This in turn causes cracks to form in the protective barrier I put around it, thus her chest pain." Urahara continued to rub Alexis's back and sighed when she whimpered. "Do you know why her right eye is golden colored?" The Espada shook his head, narrowing his eyes. What did her eye color have to do with anything? "A Hollow came in contact with her as a baby, and as you can imagine her powers were highly concentrated and unstable. So when the Hollow touched her, it not only evolved but passed some of it's traits to her, giving her that golden eye. In a way, she also has Hollow influenced powers as well, though they are few and very weak."

"So exactly why the hell are you telling this to me? For all you know I could just fuck you over and tell Aizen what I've learned." Kisuke smiled then.

"Because I know you won't, you hate him too much to tell such valuable information like this." He pointed out, bringing about thoughts of how he knew such a thing. "I'm giving you a choice, Grimmjow, you can sell her out to Aizen or you can protect her from him. What will it be?" The Espada rubbed the back of his neck, a determined look in his steely-blue eyes. He'd made his decision quite some time ago, now he had the chance to act on it and there was no wall in hell he was going to fail…

* * *

kai crazy: The longer chapters are on their way, don't worry.... they just may take longer to upload and update because of my time constraints... Anyway plz R&R!


	5. Reports and Protection

kai crazy: Sorry it's taken so long to update, there have been a few things that have been keeping me busy such as band competitions and the like. Anway, here's chapter 5, some of the things mentioned here will be explained later in the story so be patient.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach sadly.

Claimer: I own Alexis and everything associated with her.

* * *

Alexis screeched and pushed herself flush against a wall. Ichigo had accidently touched her in his Soul Reaper form and had been forced to Hollowfy.

"Alexis, its okay," He tried to assure her, though Hichigo was not helping with his comments in between. Ichigo pulled his mask off and sighed as he went to find Kon and return to his body. He returned to the room to see a man with blue hair settling Alexis back on her futon and was immediately alarmed. "Who the hell are you?" He snarled, earning a blank look.

"None of your damn business," He grunted. "If ya really want to know then go ask that blonde Shinigami man," Ichigo bristled then, this man was obviously not a human if he knew about Urahara and even if he was, it was still a surprise. Before the strawberry teen could even turn around, Urahara had appeared and pushed Ichigo into the room, basically forcing him to sit down.

"Who he is and what he is doing here are not things you need to know right now," He began. "But he does know about Alexis and has chosen to protect her." The teen narrowed his eyes at the man who growled and smacked him upside the head for no apparent reason.

"The hell was that for?!" He cried, holding his head.

"For looking at me like you don't believe him!"

"How the hell am I supposed to when you're…?" Ichigo trailed off then. The man's reiatsu felt weird, almost like his own except…. Different.

"I'm outta here," The man snorted and walked off, leaving the shop.

"How's Alexis doing?" Ichigo asked, brushing away any thoughts of the strange man. He watched as Urahara and Tessai placed a barrier around Alexis.

"We've been able to dull her reaction to the other Hougyoku but her natural power is still unstable and leaks out as you've already experienced."

"Who was that man?" Ichigo asked, still uneasy about how he had been near Alexis.

"I won't tell you who he is, but I'll tell you that he is an Arrancar." He saw the deputy Soul Reaper's eyes widen. "He leaves tonight but he's given his word that he will keep any and all information about Alexis a secret."

"And if he doesn't, he'll have me to deal with," Ichigo rose to his feet and left angrily.

**XxXxXx**

Grimmjow lazily leafed through his reports and all his gathered information. He wanted to stay and protect Alexis but he knew it would be impossible to do so without Aizen suspecting something.

'_Making a detour on my way to meet up with Ulquiorra is too damn risky,' _He growled to himself. _'Damn fucker will just track me down if I don't get there on time or something.'_ Grimmjow sighed in frustration and got his things together, carelessly shoving it all into a bag. An idea came to him when he spotted the stack of unused paper on the desk. He set his things aside, got a pencil and quickly wrote a note addressed to Urahara and Alexis. The Espada parted from his gigai, disposed of it the way he was instructed, grabbed his bag and left the apartment he had rented.

Grimmjow dropped the letter off in front of Urahara Shoten, gave one last glance towards the room Alexis was in and sonidoed to the rendezvous point.

"You're on time for a change?" Ulquiorra said, his voice rising only slightly to indicate a question.

"Maybe I just wanna leave this filthy fucking place?!" He spat venomously at the Cuatro. Ulquiorra was unfazed by the Sexta's foul mood. He opened a garganta and led the way back to Hueco Mundo, where Aizen awaited their return.

"Thank you, Ulquiorra, you may leave," Aizen dismissed the Cuatro upon their arrival. The pale Espada bowed and quickly left the room. "What have you learned of the Living World?"

"It's a disgusting place," He spat. He'd given his bag to Gin upon his return; the information would be examined later.

"I see," Aizen's lips curled up into a smile. "Come see me tomorrow, Grimmjow, we must speak privately." With that, the Sexta was dismissed. Grimmjow hurried to his room, fear clawing at his belly.

**Grimmjow's P.O.V**

Fuck! Aizen knew, he fucking knew about the brat! I just know that's what he wants to talk about! Okay, calm down, I just need to keep my cool and deny even knowing her… Like that's really going to fucking work! How the hell did he find out? Unless… Oh fuck no, he better not have sent someone to spy on me! I'll fucking kill whoever squealed on me…!

**Normal P.O.V**

Alexis awoke with a start, her eyes wild as she looked around. She had an uneasy feeling, like she was in danger or one of her friends was. She tried to find any trace of Grimmjow's reiatsu but it was faint, almost as though it had been hours since he'd been in the area… Alexis whipped her head around when the door opened, the outlined figure startling her only for a moment before she realized it was Urahara.

"Kisuke, I feel funny," Alexis whimpered, her right Hollow eye seeming to glow.

"It's okay, it's just a reaction," Urahara told her told her. He sat down beside the teen, closed his eyes, and focused as he reached out to grip her hand. He heard her gasp and focused harder until a thin line began to materialize in his mind. _'No! It can't be… She's too young,'_ Kisuke pulled back, opening his eyes to look at the frightened teen. "You cannot rely on him, Alexis; he is an Arrancar, a being devoid of emotion and humanity. Doing so will put you in a dangerous situation that neither of us wants, okay?" She nodded, her eye still glowing faintly.

"What did you see?" She whispered, averting her eyes. She knew he had looked into her soul, something only a Cursed Pure Being Guardian could do because of their spiritual connection.

"Only our connection and the confusion of your heart," He told her gently. "You should get back to sleep now," Alexis heard the command behind those words and lay back down, falling asleep quickly. Urahara left the room once he was sure she was asleep and began his preparations for if Aizen found out about Alexis.

**XxXxXx**

"You wanted to see me, Aizen-sama?" Grimmjow asked in a rather subdued voice. He'd been up all night wondering about whether Aizen knew about Alexis or not, so he didn't really care what he called the ex-taicho.

"Yes, have a seat my dear Sexta," He smiled kindly but Grimmjow knew it was just a front to throw him off. Once the Espada had taken a seat, Aizen had some tea poured and took his sweet time before getting down to business. "Gin told me you met a girl in the Living World on your first day," Grimmjow snorted at this, dismissing the thought completely.

"The girl means nothing to me," He grunted, lazily staring at his cup of tea. "You told me to blend in so I did what I thought any human would do; I fucking saved her from drowning." Aizen did not bother to berate the Sexta for his use of language.

"Did you happen to get her name?" Grimmjow glanced up, his eyes narrowed and he drew his lips back.

"Fuck no!" He snarled, "Why would I want to knew the name of some dumb human wench that can barely think for herself!?"

"That is quite a shame, Grimmjow," Aizen sighed, his smile never fading. "She was quite pretty from Gin's description of her," Aizen didn't miss the sudden and dangerous spike of his subordinate's reiatsu at the comment. "I do hope she is well now that you have left. I pray nothing happens to her without you," The Sexta snarled lowly at his. He got up, shoved his hands into the pockets of his hakama and stalked off; muttering under his breath. Now he knew he had to protect Alexis, even if it meant betraying Aizen in the process…

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kai crazy: Wow, Grimmjow used the word fuck alot in this chapter... Anway, hope you liked it! R&R!


	6. Betrayed Trust

kai crazy: Here is chapter 6! This one gets a little crazy so just go with it lol.

Disclaimer: I no own.

Claimer: I own Alexis, deal with it.

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**2 months later**

Grimmjow left the meeting in the throne room with a smirk, that prick Ulquiorra, had just given him the perfect reason to invade the World of the Living. He gathered his fracción, told them the plan and headed to the Living World ahead of them. The Espada immediately opened his pesquisa to try and find Alexis, his brows furrowing together when he found nothing; not a single trace of her unique reiatsu.

'_Shit, where is she?!'_ He kicked off and searched the entire town before heading to Urahara Shoten. "Oi, where is she?!" He snarled barging into the shop.

"If you mean Alexis, she is not here anymore," Urahara told him calmly.

"Are you telling me she's fucking dead!?" He grabbed the shinigami and slammed him up against a wall.

"She's very much alive," He assured, "She's at the hospital surrounded by a special barrier designed to prevent reiatsu from leaking out."

"Why is she there?" Grimmjow demanded.

"She was out of control, affecting anyone who got near her without even touching them. She's in an induced coma at the moment, to restore her natural control and balance."

"What floor is she on?" The Sexta released Kisuke and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'll take you there, going on your own is probably the most idiotic thing you can do right now." Grimmjow nodded and followed the shinigami.

**Urahara's P.O.V**

I wasn't too happy with the current situation at all. Grimmjow had returned and he was in his natural form, which could only mean trouble. I had a feeling he wasn't here on Aizen's orders this time, he was here for something else and that something was most likely my Alexis. I could not allow him to be near her now, it was dangerous and the risk of a connection forming was too great. If a connection were formed between them, it could be disastrous. A connection could be the difference between life and death for Alexis. I could not allow it to happen, as her Guardian I was sworn to protect her from anything that could endanger her life…

**Normal P.O.V**

Grimmjow had willingly suppressed his reiatsu and now wore a cloak as they entered the hospital to conceal his appearance. Urahara led him up to one of the top floors and swiped a special card to unlock the door before entering the closed off room. The Sexta's flesh began to crawl when they stepped inside and he felt his body begin to heat up almost as though he had a fever of some kind. His steely-blue eyes locked onto the person on the lone hospital bed and almost couldn't believe it was the same girl he had met only a few months back. She'd gotten thin and pale from lack of sun exposure. Grimmjow pulled the hood of the cloak off and stepped towards the bed, only to jump back when none other than Ishida Ryuken appeared, casting the Espada a threatening glare.

"What is the meaning of this?" He demanded of Urahara, not taking his eyes off the Espada.

"He's chosen to protect Alexis from Aizen," The shinigami explained to the Quincy.

"Why would an Arrancar protect a being of such power from his master?" He asked carefully, still wary.

"Aizen is a fucking bastard and a Pure Being doesn't belong in his filthy fucking hands!" Grimmjow snarled, malice dripping off every word. "Especially since she has the other Hougyoku in her," He looked over at the bed. "Wake her up."

"I cannot do that," Ryuken's frown deepened.

"I said wake her up!" Urahara restrained the Espada from moving towards the Quincy.

"I suggest you comply, Ryuken, we do not need a fight on our hands, especially here of all places." The Quincy sighed and reluctantly filled a syringe before injecting it into the IV attached to Alexis's arm. A few minutes later, the teen's eyes began to flutter and a heavy reiatsu descended upon the room.

"Brat…" Grimmjow moved towards her. Before he even knew what had happened, he was slumped against the far wall, clutching his now stinging arm. The Sexta turned his gaze to Alexis and their eyes met. He found hers empty and devoid of emotion, as though she was only half there. Her gold, Hollow eye flashed and the Espada found himself pinned to the wall by an invisible force. "What the fuck is she doing?!" He ground out trying in vain to free himself.

"I'm not certain but it seems she does not recognize you," Urahara tapped his chin thoughtfully. "She's never seen you like this, nor has she ever sensed your true reiatsu so to her right now you are the enemy." Grimmjow growled and began to form a Cero, firing it at Alexis. The force that held him disappeared as the girl formed a barrier to protect herself, giving Grimmjow enough time to scramble away.

"And to think I actually saved your ass from drowning and agreed to protect you!" He sneered bitterly. "I hope Aizen finds you, you stupid bitch!" And with that he was gone, his angry aura leaving a depressing one in its place. Alexis suddenly blinked and looked at Urahara with frightened eyes.

"Wha-what happened?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper. "Why is there blood here?!" She nearly screeched when she saw the blood on the floor.

"Grimmjow was here and well…. You attacked him." Kisuke told her with a heavy sigh.

"I-I attacked him?" Her eyes widened, unable to believe what her ears had heard.

"He's gone now, he feels as though you've betrayed his trust."

"Though it was probably thin to begin with," Ryuken snorted.

"It just proves what I told you before; having any kind of feelings for him will only lead to one of you getting hurt." Ryuken filled another syringe and nodded to Urahara before injecting it. "Rest now, you've expanded enough energy." Alexis immediately fell into the darkness of her own mind and heart, unable to rouse herself from the state she was put in.

**XxXxXx**

Grimmjow swore loudly and punched the wall with his remaining hand. Tousen had destroyed his left arm after Aizen had refused to allow him to take the Espada's life for insubordination. He'd gotten a somewhat good fight out the orange haired Shinigami kid who had been shocked to realize it was Grimmjow he was fighting but it had done little to sooth his anger. Alexis had attacked him unprovoked with a strength he never imagined she had.

'_Hn, I'll just tell Aizen about her,'_ He thought, a bitter smile on his face. _'He has too much fucking power as it is, he doesn't deserve to have her.'_ He argued with himself. The now former Sexta punched the wall again with an angry and confused growl; he didn't know what to do! _'Fuck, no doubt Ulquiorra will find out and report to his fucking precious Aizen-sama,'_ He thought sarcastically. _'But I won't fucking let him, I'll kill him before he even has a chance to speak…'_

**XxXxXx**

Alexis sighed as she was escorted out of the Karakura Hospital by Captain Hitsugaya and his team. They had put her under a few powerful kido to contain her powers when she was brought out of her induced coma. They were under strict orders to bring her directly to Orihime Inoue's home so she could speak with Head Captain Yamamoto. Once they arrived, everyone except for Hitsugaya took up a guarding post around the apartment.

"Have you retrieved the girl?" Head Captain Yamamoto asked when the connection was complete.

"Yes, she is here now," The short taicho motioned for Alexis to step forward and both bowed respectfully to the old man.

"Alexis Trinity, are you aware of the current situation in both the Living World and Soul Society?"

"Yes, sir," She answered quietly.

"Are you also aware of your part in the coming War? And what you must do?"

"Yes, I am to be taken to the Soul Society to be hidden until the Arrancar forces have been defeated and Aizen captured or killed. If that should fail, I, as the Hougyoku, will be destroyed." Hitsugaya didn't let it show but the news shocked him greatly; he had not been informed about that last bit.

"I thank you for your understanding, young Alexis," With that the connection was cut and the screen went blank.

"We should get you back to Urahara's for now," Alexis nodded and followed the young Captain. She was placed in the middle of the group, to ensure her safety on their way back. Urahara gratefully took her back and gave her some tea as they sat down to talk.

"Don't worry, they will be fine," Kisuke smiled reassuringly when he sensed her distress. "They're just off training to achieve Bankai is all," Alexis nodded and quietly drank her tea. The teen slept after that, Aizen's almost constant use of her 'twin' was draining her energy so quickly that she could barely stay awake for more than two hours at a time. Urahara frowned when he sensed the Arrancar's reiatsu, they were attacking once again. "Alexis, get to your room and stay there, I'll be back as soon as I can," The girl roused herself and darted into her room, stumbling only slightly before locking the door behind herself.

Expanding her own reiatsu weakly she indentified the invading Arrancar as Espada level, with Grimmjow being among their ranks. Alexis closed her eyes and opened them, finding herself in the empty and peaceful plains of her mind. She relaxed into the soft grass she had created and closed her eyes, smiling as the grass danced over her flesh; she could almost actually feel it against her skin… Her peaceful world soon became disturbed by an outside force and it began to crumble all around her, frightening her. Only someone with extremely strong reiatsu could penetrate her inner world enough to cause it to crumble. Alexis awoke to find a pale skinned Arrancar standing over her, his uncaring emerald eyes gazing down at her in what she guessed was disgust.

"Wh-what do you want?" She stammered, trying to crawl away.

"Aizen-sama wishes to speak with you directly," He told her in a condescending voice. The girl gasped and her eyes widened when Aizen's name slipped from his lips.

"No, I-I won't go!" She shook her head, unconsciously calling out to Urahara.

"You do not have a choice, girl," He said flatly. With her powers sealed, Alexis could not keep the Arrancar from advancing. The Arrancar quickly grabbed her wrist and the teen screamed as her Hougyoku enhanced powers tried to fight against the kido that bound them. The girl passed out and the pale Espada sighed, humans were such weak creatures. Ulquiorra opened a garganta and stepped through, heading for the Dangai Precipice World to retrieve Orihime Inoue. When he had finished instructing the busty female, he tossed Alexis's limp body to her feet, telling her to bring the other teen with her.

**XxXxXx**

Grimmjow snarled loudly as he fought Ichigo, Alexis's scent had just entirely disappeared from the area. Just as he was about to release Pantera to fend off Ichigo and the newcomer Shinji, Ulquiorra appeared and stopped him.

"We are finished here," He said shortly. The former Sexta growled and reluctantly retreated with the Cuatro and the others. From the expression on Ichigo's face as the Negacion pulled them away, Grimmjow guessed he'd also noticed the disappearance of the girls' reiatsu.

'_That brat had better be safe,'_ He thought. _'I still have a small matter to settle with her…'_

**XxXxXx**

Orihime nervously stood before Aizen in his too large throne room. Alexis had been taken away to another part of the large palace upon her arrival in Las Noches. Urahara had recently informed her of Alexis's status as a Living Hougyoku so she knew it was dangerous for the older girl to be in Hueco Mundo.

"I'm sorry to rush you but… Could you demonstrate your power for me?" Orihime felt like she was suffocating as Aizen exerted his tremendous reiatsu. "Why don't you heal Grimmjow's arm?" Luppi, the former Sexta's replacement, began to make a fuss and threatened the busty human girl. His ramblings died away when he saw the previously destroyed arm begin to reform and he soon became frightened.

"Hey, girl, heal one more thing for me," He jerked his thumb towards his back.

"Grimmjow, what the hell do you think you're doing?!" Luppi shouted, panic becoming evident as the six began to reform. When Orihime was finished, Grimmjow looked over his shoulder, a sadistic smile plastered on his face. The Sexta rammed his fist through his replacement's stomach, spraying blood everywhere. "Grimmjow… You bastard…"

"Bye-bye… former number six!" He blasted a powerful Cero at Luppi, destroying the entire top half of his body. The Espada laughed loudly and proclaimed that he had returned and that he was the Sexta Espada.

"Oh dear, it seems we have one last guest to introduce," Aizen cleared his throat. Grimmjow fell silent as the throne room doors creaked open and his stomach fell as a feeling of dread filled him. The teal haired Arrancar turned as the doors opened fully, eyes widening when he saw the figure in Ulquiorra's arms.

'_Alexis…'_

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kai crazy: Hope you like the cliff hanger -evil grin- R&R plz!


	7. Truth Part 2

kai crazy: Whoo! Another long-ish chapter! Hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I no own.

Owner: I do own Alexis.

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Grimmjow shielded his eyes as the Cuatro brushed past him, an unconscious Alexis carefully situated in his arms.

"Oh?" Gin's eye brow twitched. Grimmjow's head snapped towards the silver haired shinigami when he spoke again. "It's the girl that…" He trailed off, noticing the Sexta's menacing eyes fixed on him.

"Grimmjow, I thought you'd be surprised?" Aizen smiled almost knowingly.

"Why the hell would I be?" He snorted lowly. "In a way I am but not the way you think," No matter how angry he was at Alexis for attacking him, he was still bound to his word to protect her… and now he had failed.

"Alexis Trinity, age 17, attends Karakura High School. Has no past to speak of and is a virtual mystery," The Sexta bristled at how much the man already knew about her.

"The brat has nothing to do with this, let her go!" Grimmjow growled, more to Ulquiorra than to Aizen.

"Why are you so touchy about this human girl?" Aizen persisted, enjoying his subordinate's low curses as he struggled to answer.

"Normally I wouldn't be but she plays no significant role and has no meaning to the shinigami. She's just an idiot girl who can't take care of herself."

"Would you reconsider if I allowed you to be her guardian?" Grimmjow's heart nearly stopped. The idea of being her personal guardian was very, very tempting but he knew she belonged back in the Living World.

"Sorry but guarding people ain't my idea of fun, if you catch my drift." He smirked wickedly.

"I'd be more than willing to-" Before Nnoitra could even finish his sentence, Grimmjow had the taller Espada pinned to the ground, a Cero charging in his face.

"You had better shut your fucking mouth, slime ball!" He snarled, anger radiating from his body. "Lay one finger on her and you can say good-bye to your manhood!" The Quinta gulped nervously and nodded. He may have been one rank higher but Grimmjow's sudden animosity and his threat had certainly frightened him. The Sexta stopped charging the Cero and moved away, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"If you insist then you may take her back to the Living World." Aizen sighed, amused by the Espada's behavior. Grimmjow nodded and stalked up to Ulquiorra, pulling Alexis into his own arms and cradling her to his chest. He opened a garganta and hurried through, looking down at the silver haired teen every now and then.

**XxXxXx**

When Grimmjow arrived back in the Living World, he was torn between returning Alexis to Urahara and taking her somewhere else to protect her from Aizen. The Sexta opted to bring her back to Urahara, he had to drop her off and leave, he was certain that he would not be welcome since he'd caused so much trouble in the last few weeks. The Espada stopped a few blocks from the shop, suppressed his reiatsu and woke the teen up as gently as possible.

**Alexis's P.O.V**

I opened my eyes and found myself looking up into a pair of intense steel-blue eyes. My first thought was that it was Grimmjow but it didn't look like him. Grimmjow didn't have a mask fragment or a Hollow hole in his stomach… That's when I remembered Kisuke telling me Grimmjow was an Arrancar, an Espada in fact. I had never seen him like this, I was scared. His real form frightened me so much I began to shake in his arms, I wanted him to leave me alone now, I no longer wanted him near me. I was afraid he would hurt me….

**Normal P.O.V**

"You got lucky, brat, I just saved your ass from Aizen!" He snapped at her. Alexis flinched at his harsh voice and he 'tch'ed, still holding her in his arms. "I managed to get you back here but you can't tell a single fucking soul about this, got it?!" She nodded, her eyes not meeting his. Grimmjow set her on her feet and roughly took hold of her shoulders, shoving her into the side of a brick building. He raised a hand to her delicate cheek and rubbed his thumb along her cheek bone in a thoughtful manner.

"Gr-" The teen let out a pain filled cry when the Sexta swiped his hand, nearly full force, across her face, leaving an angry red imprint on her cheek. Blood welled up from for scratches on her flesh, inflicted by Grimmjow's sharp nails. Tears formed in her eyes and she covered her burning cheek with a trembling hand as she stared up at the Espada's angry face.

"That's for attacking me!" He sneered down at her. "I don't care if you weren't conscious of your actions but it doesn't make up for the fact that you were too stupid to realize it was me."

"I-I'm sorry," She whimpered.

"Sorry ain't gonna cut it!" Alexis flinched back and averted her eyes. "Brat, did you honestly think I would not get pissed at you?" He grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away from her cheek, gazing at the bloodstained palm. "I'll let it slide since you can't control your power. That is your warning," He nodded to her cheek. "I won't be around anymore after this and I doubt your friend Kurosaki would really appreciate it if I was here to begin with. The kid can fight but he gets way too cocky."

"You-you fought Ichigo?!" Her eyes widened in alarm.

"Yeah but some weird blonde kid got in my way and fucking Ulquiorra interrupted before I could kill them." His grip on her tiny wrist tightened causing Alexis to wince. The Sexta jerked her hand up and smirked as he held her eyes. Alexis tugged weakly when the Espada swiped his tongue over the dried blood, savoring the sweet taste of her pure blood. "Now, get out of my fucking sight, I don't ever wanna see you again!" His eyes widened and a sneer appeared as he tossed her to the ground roughly. "It's for your own damn good brat!" Alexis pushed herself up and watched, horrified as the Sexta stepped back through a garganta, disappearing from her view. Pulling herself together, Alexis dragged herself to Urahara's shop.

"Ki-Kisuke…!" She cried as loudly as she could. The man appeared seconds later, pulling the frightened and exhausted teen into a tight hug.

"Alexis, I thought for sure they'd found out!" He sighed, grasping her shoulders and stepping back to look at her. He frowned at the bleeding cuts on her cheek and the bruise forming under her eye, swelling it; he also frowned at her bruised wrist. "What happened? Did someone hurt you?" She nodded slowly. "Who was it?" Alexis bit her lip, remembering Grimmjow's words.

"It was the pale Espada," She whispered. "They still have Orihime!" Urahara let this information sink in before he nodded.

"No doubt Ichigo will do something about it once he finds out," He chuckled. "But right now, the important thing is that you are safe from Aizen." He wouldn't ask how she managed to escape since he had a fairly good idea of how, or rather who had helped her to do so. Urahara ushered the teen inside and saw to her injuries, putting her wrist in a splint as it had been fractured from the amount of force put on it. After he'd gotten her settled, he informed Hitsugaya of her return. They resealed her power and discussed what the next plan of action would be…

**XxXxXx**

Alexis was uneasy. She'd felt Ichigo's reiatsu fluctuating dangerously all day and it worried her.

"Alexis, can you come here for a few minutes?" The teen's stomach dropped when Urahara called to her. The silver haired girl quietly sat across from the former taicho, vaguely noting Yoruichi who had a serious expression on her face.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, blinking at him.

"I think it's time I told you the truth… about your past." He spoke carefully, gauging the teens' reaction.

"What do you mean?" Confusion was clearly evident on Alexis's face.

"I found you outside my shop when you were just a baby, barely a few weeks old I'd wager." He began, taking a deep breath. "You got your gold eye around then too."

**Flashback**

_Urahara hurried through the shop. He hadn't given too much thought to the baby he heard crying for the past thirty minutes but now there was a Hollow in the vicinity; he could not let any harm come to the child he sensed outside. Just as he threw the door open, the Hollow reached out and touched the small, crying bundle. He heard a painful cry and watched in horror as the Hollow stumbled away, tearing at its mask until it became something that resembled an Arrancar. Urahara's eyes widened and he drew Benihime without a second thought._

"_Yoruichi, get the child!" He shouted over his shoulder when the dark skinned female emerged from the shop. She swiftly scooped the still shrieking baby into her arms and darted back inside to escape the fight. Urahara then took out the half formed Arrancar and hurried back inside. "Is the child okay?"_

"_She'll be fine for now, Kisuke, but her heart…" Yoruichi glanced at him sadly. "She won't survive unless we do something." The blonde Shinigami studied the pale child carefully and sighed._

"_There is one thing we can do…"_

**End Flashback**

"That night, I implanted the Hougyoku in your body and your condition immediately began to improve. That same night, we learned that you were a Cursed Pure Being, most likely one of the last of your kind as well."

"What of my real family?" Alexis asked eyes wide with shock.

"It's safe to assume they are dead, since they never showed up to claim you or even see you," He said quietly. "In order to keep you from getting into trouble I sealed off your powers and replaced all your memories as the years went on; making you believe you had a real family."

"It was for your safety, Alexis, do try to understand that," Yoruichi cut in, placing her hand over the teens'. "We… well Kisuke raised you like you were his own daughter and we both protected you from danger all these years."

"All those times I was pulled out of school and put in that room…" Both adults nodded.

"We were protecting you, especially those times when Ichigo and the others went to the Soul Society to rescue Rukia. The spirit particles that had clung to them would have accidently trigged your powers and caused a lot a trouble." Urahara explained quickly.

"Thank you for telling me the truth," The teen smiled, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"There is one last matter I must discuss with you." Kisuke's expression darkened. "The Espada, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez… He is a threat to your existence. You cannot be near him, it's too dangerous now," Alexis's hand flew to her bandaged cheek. "I'm no fool, Alexis; I know it was Grimmjow who did that to you." She nodded sadly to confirm his words. "He had the right idea," His adopted daughter looked at him with wide eyes. "He realized that if he continued to try and protect you under Aizen's nose, he would eventually be caught. You seemed attached so he used fear and pain to drive you away from him."

"Then who will…"

"He left a note the night he returned the Hueco Mundo, asking me to continue protecting you in his place. I can tell he didn't really want to hurt you but it's the only thing he's ever known so he used it to push you away. If he survives the War, there is no doubt in my mind he will come back here to protect you but that's a very big if." Alexis nodded understandingly and winced when she felt a sharp pain in her chest.

"You should get some rest," Yoruichi said. The dark skinned woman pulled the teen into a hug and kissed the top of her head before leading her to her room to rest, returning mere moments later. "I have a bad feeling about today," Urahara nodded, sharing her unease.

"I should go get ready," He began to walk to the back of the shop. "Watch over Alexis, she's still a bit shaken from everything that's happened." Yoruichi did not need to be told twice as she watched the man disappear into the Underground Training room.

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kai crazy: Hope you enjoyed this chapter because the chaos is just beginning... Plz R&R!


	8. Connection

kai crazy: Well here's chapter 8, things are getting confusing I know but it'll start making sense in the next few chapters I promise.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

Claimer: I do however own Alexis and her powers.

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Alexis flinched back when Urahara opened the garganta for Ichigo, Chad, and Uryu. They were going to sneak into Hueco Mundo against the Soul Society's orders.

"Good luck you guys!" Alexis called as they were about to leave. Ichigo turned around and looked at her, a sad smile on his face. The strawberry teen walked over and hugged her carefully, tightening the embrace once he realized nothing would happen.

"Thanks, Lex," He smiled down at her using her nickname. "Be careful and stay out of trouble, okay?" She nodded and Ichigo kissed her forehead, causing her to pout childishly. He always treated her like a little kid. Alexis shoved him away with a blush and he chuckled. "We'll come back soon and we'll have Orihime with us!" He swore before he and the other two teens disappeared through the garganta. Alexis smiled and suddenly collapsed, completely exhausted.

"Don't touch her!" Urahara shouted when Yoruichi went to pick the girl up.

"Has something happened?" She asked, frowning at her old friend. She looked up when the Senkaimon appeared and Soi fon emerged followed by Captain Hitsugaya, some members of the Punishment Force and a prisoner.

"I suspected something might have gone wrong while she was captive in Hueco Mundo so I had Renji send in a request for me. I needed a weak Shinigami prisoner and two or more Captains present should there be trouble." Urahara spoke in a serious tone.

"Is that her? The Cursed Pure Being we've been told about?" Soi fon asked, eyeing Alexis's unmoving body.

"Yes, it is," Yoruichi confirmed. The small taicho nodded to her men to approach with the prisoner who was screeching and trying to run away. The forced him into contact with Alexis and his screeching became louder as he stumbled away.

"Just as I suspected," Urahara muttered gravely. The prisoner scrambled back, screaming like a mad man as his voice slowly began to distort itself. A mask began to form and the two Captain's jumped into action, killing the man before he became a full fledged Vizard.

"I thought we sealed her powers last night?" Hitsugaya glared at Urahara.

"She needs to have her powers contained by the Kido Corps," He replied quietly. "She's immune to our weak spells," The white haired taicho gasped at this. "We have no choice but to take her to the Soul Society for further containment. Tessai will place a barrier around her body but I suggest you have members of the Kido Corps come here to assist in moving her." The two Captains nodded and began making the preparations to move Alexis. Kisuke sighed and looked at the teen sadly, not really wanting to send her away. _'I'm sorry, Lex, but I have to do this…'_

**XxXxXx**

"How is she?" Alexis recognized that voice anywhere.

"She is stable for the time being," The voice was soothing but she did not recognize it at all.

"That's good to hear," Alexis's eye lids fluttered and she groaned. "Look, she's waking up!"

"Use caution, Lieutenant Abarai," The silver haired teen opened her eyes, blinking away the haze as Renji helped her to sit up.

"Hey, Alexis, how do you feel?" The girl looked at him blearily.

"Horrible," She croaked. The teen rubbed her shoulder and became alarmed when she found blood on her hand.

"That will happen occasionally," Renji sighed. "Your body is trying to reject all the high level Kido we put around you," He carefully cleaned her hand, watching from the corner of his eye as the girl looked around.

"Where…. Where am I?" She looked at Renji curiously.

"You're in Soul Society," Alexis's eyes widened. "It was an automatic decision, especially after Kisuke confirmed that you were immune to the low level Kido placed around you in the Living World. He really didn't want to do this but he knew it was for the best."

"I-I see," She looked away.

"This is a quarantined area, only accessible by Unohana-taicho, the Kido Corps and persons with given permission." Renji stood and stretched his arms. "I'll be leaving soon with Rukia, we're gonna head to Hueco Mundo to help that idiot Ichigo." Alexis strained to hear his whispered words. "I'll be seeing ya, stay safe," The Shinigami fukutaicho swiftly kissed her forehead and left. The one named Unohana appeared shortly after, her lieutenant Isane following right behind her.

"You need to rest some more," The soft spoken taicho smiled kindly at her. "Isane, if you would?" The woman nodded and cautiously helped Alexis to sit up straight. Unohana held a cup to her lips, chuckling when the teen made a face at the bitter tasting medicine. "It will help you to rest and ease any pain you may have."

"Thank you," Alexis whispered as Isane helped her to lie back down. Soon she was fast asleep and the two Shinigami women left, making sure to seal her room off when they did so.

**XxXxXx**

Grimmjow snarled loudly and stormed to his room. He was _pissed!_ He was pissed that Aizen would not allow him to go after the Kurosaki boy and his friends. The Sexta blinked when the room seemed to spin and sat down, growling in confusion when the feeling passed. This had been occurring all morning and it was annoying him greatly since he could not figure out any possible reason for it. The Espada felt a familiar presence wash over him and gasped softly.

'_Oi, brat, is that you?'_ He called out in his mind, knowing it was ridiculous for him to do so. He again felt her faint presence flicker in his mind and disappear completely. Deciding to test a sudden theory, Grimmjow reached out to the faint presence when it appeared again and felt a burst of warmth flow through his body. _'What is this feeling?'_ He pulled away and sighed but almost immediately stiffened. The presence he had felt… He knew it anywhere… It was Alexis! _'Oh hell no, there is no way this could have happened!?'_ He pushed the thought away and calmed himself down.

'_Something don't feel right,'_ He thought with a growl. _'I can't tell where she is and I'm usually able to, even without a stupid connection.' _With a small snort, Grimmjow lay in his bed and was overtaken by sleep.

**Grimmjow's Dream**

_Grimmjow found himself pulling Alexis into the protection of his body, snarling at Aizen who loomed over them, that sickeningly sweet smile plastered on his face._

_"I won't let you have her!" He roared, pulling the teen even closer. The Sexta curled himself around Alexis protectively when Aizen reached towards them and was suddenly falling into a pit of darkness. The silver haired teen screamed and reached out to him, just barely reaching his fingertips. Grimmjow tried grabbing her hand but was pulled further into the darkness when black tentacles shot up and restrained his limbs, pulling him down. "No! Give her back!" He struggled to get free to no avail. He finally released Pantera to hopefully help in the struggle but it did little good._

_The Espada gave a loud howl of frustration when the darkness refused to release its hold on him. He continued to struggle, even more so when Aizen opened his hands to reveal an entrapped Alexis, pale and unmoving, blood covering most of her body._

_"NOOO! FUCK YOU, AIZEN! SHE DIDN'T DO SHIT TO DESERVE THIS!!!!" The man merely smiled as Grimmjow was entirely swallowed by the darkness._

**Reality**

Grimmjow sat up with a gasp, his chest heaving, his body drenched in a cold sweat. He covered his face with his hands and calmed down before heading to the bathroom across the room. He splashed cold water on his face and gripped the edge of the counter, his head bowed slightly.

'_Are you trying to tell me something, brat?'_ He thought quietly. _'Are you trying to tell me that you're in danger? Or is my imagination playing tricks on me?' _He felt her presence again and growled as he stalked back into his room, sitting on the edge of the bed, glaring at the floor. He could feel something forming in his soul, if he even had one, something that was connecting him in some strange way to Alexis. _'I need to go vent some steam and forget this connection business,' _Grimmjow grabbed Pantera and swiftly made his way through Las Noches to the training halls. No matter how much he denied it, he knew it was true. A connection was forming….

* * *

kai crazy: I hope you liked Grimmjow's little denial thing lol, plz R&R!


	9. Abduction

kai crazy: Woot! Another update! I've been working hard to edit this story since I changed a few things a while back, so I hope you like it, especially when the fun has only just begun....

Disclaimer: I no own.

Claimer: I do own Alexis.

* * *

Alexis awoke to find the atmosphere surrounding the squad 4 barracks thick with tension and a feeling of dread filled the teen. Even the usually calm Captain Unohana was on edge, sensing that something was about to happen that would change the course of the War. The silver haired teen's right eye had been bothering her for some time; she'd been given medicine to reduce the pain and was currently relaxing into her bed as it took effect.

"Intruder!" The alarm began to sound throughout the barracks. Alexis heard the screams and cries of pain and the thick scent of blood nearly overwhelmed her.

"The people protecting you are weak, Alexis Trinity," The teen squinted through her fading vision and cursed. It was Ulquiorra. "It's time to go," With the stronger kido in place, the Espada was unaffected when he touched her. The teen weakly called out to Urahara though her cries fell on death ears.

**XxXxXx**

Grimmjow and the other Espada had been called to the throne room unexpectedly and now awaited Ulquiorra's return from his sudden mission. The Sexta knew something about the sudden meeting was very wrong and his suspicions were confirmed when a garganta opened and Ulquiorra stepped through.

"You said you'd leave her out of this!?" He snarled before he could stop himself. Aizen raised an eyebrow at the Espada, his lips twitching up into a smug smile that made the teal haired Arrancar bristle.

"I do not recall saying such, Grimmjow," He said coolly. "I merely gave you permission to bring her back to the Living World." As he said this Ulquiorra set Alexis's body on the floor before Aizen. "I recently learned something interesting about your little human, Grimmjow, would you like to hear?" The Sexta pursed his lips. "She is a Cursed Pure Being, with the ability to evolve or revert, give or take power." Excited murmurs swept through the room.

"Shut the hell up!" The teal haired Espada growled at his fellow Arrancar.

"What's more is that I learned that Kisuke Urahara created not one, but two Hougyoku's," Grimmjow's entire body tensed then. "Its whereabouts are currently unknown," He relaxed with a soft sigh. "Alexis will remain here with you are her guardian, do you understand?" The Sexta nodded and trotted over to the sleeping human girl. "Aporro Granz, she is off limits, is that clear?" The Octava gave a reluctant nod, upset that he could not _study _such a rare specimen. Aizen dismissed the Espada then, leaving with his two Generals for a private meeting of their own. Grimmjow crouched down letting his fingertips ghost over Alexis's arm before scooping her into his arms and hurrying to his domain on the far side of Las Noches.

'_I wish those damn shinigami had killed Ulquiorra before he got to her,'_ He thought setting the teen down on his oversized bed. The Sexta carefully adjusted her white yukata and sat on the edge of the bed, contemplating what to do next. He heard the teen stir and turned his head to look over his shoulder, feeling a small tug on his soul when he did so. _'I think I'll try out a new little theory,'_ The Sexta smirked and situated himself, laying down a ways from Alexis. He closed his eyes and focused on the human next to him…

**XxXxXx**

_Grimmjow opened his eyes slightly surprised that the chaos of his inner world had calmed. _

"_Hey, brat, you here?" He called out, remembering the purpose of this journey to his inner world._

"_Gr-Grimmjow…?" The Sexta bristled at how weak the voice was. The Espada sought out where the voice had come from and found Alexis collapsed on a broken pathway. He tried to move towards her but the path began to crack, forcing him to step back and curse. "I'm scared, where am I?" She whimpered._

"_Hell, I don't even know," He snorted. "Pull yourself together; I can't get any closer because your path is cracked." He watched as the teen struggled to sit up, her chest heaving from the effort of it. He grinned when the cracks began to fade and strode over, yanking her to her feet rather roughly. "I'm pretty sure you know what's going on here, now explain. And also explain what the hell happened!" Grimmjow grasped her wrists and pulled her towards him so she couldn't try to escape._

"_If I am in your world than you've become connected," She replied, tugging weakly to get free. "Kisuke said it's dangerous for this to happen and that I should not become connected to you like this. As for your other question, I do not know. I was drowsy from my medicine and all I remember is the alarm sounding in the squad 4 barracks." The Espada eyed her warily before giving a small grunt of acknowledgement, keeping his hold on her wrists. "I've answered your questions now please release me," She whispered, averting her eyes. The Sexta snorted and loosened his hold, grasping both wrists in one hand to take hold of her chin, forcing her to look at him._

"_Listen up, you're gonna stay near me at all times while Aizen has you here in Las Noches, got it?" She nodded the best she could. "I don't really understand what all this connection shit is and I don't really care for it either so we'll both pretend that it doesn't exist, got it?" He released her chin and she nodded slowly. "That damn shinigami would kill me if he knew about this or if I let anything happen to ya," He growled releasing her wrists. "I'll figure something out later, for now you should get up and bathe," He then forced himself to awaken._

**XxXxXx**

Grimmjow yawned as he sat up and rubbed his now stiff neck, groaning when he proceeded to pop it. He looked at Alexis who was beginning to stir and frowned when he glimpsed the left side of her chest. He would have loved to investigate but he knew better than that, he would not be labeled a pervert. No, that title belonged to Nnoitra Jiruga, the person Grimmjow would keep away from the teen at all costs.

"You feelin' okay, brat, you ain't looking so good?" He grunted, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

"Being here is making me sick," She mumbled holding her head. Grimmjow sighed and stood up, rummaging through a nearby dresser, muttering under his breath. He pulled an extra jacket and hakama from the drawer and went back to the bed.

"Can you stand?" He asked, noting her pale complexion. Alexis nodded and swung her legs over the side of the bed, placing her feet on the floor almost carefully. Grimmjow suddenly grabbed her about the waist and marched to the bathroom with the shocked teen in his grasp. "You're a horrible liar, brat," He snickered at her.

"Never said I was good at it," She retorted weakly. Grimmjow quickly drew a bath, grabbed a towel and set Alexis on the edge of the tub, placing the extra clothes on the counter.

"Just holler if ya need something," He jammed his hands in his pockets and stalked off, shutting the door as he left. Alexis dipped a finger into the water and smiled, the temperature was perfect. The teen stood unsteadily and rummaged through some things under the sink, finding a nearly empty bottle of blueberry bath gel.

'_This'll be interesting,' _She thought, pouring the remaining contents into the still running water. The silver haired girl stripped out of the yukata and her under garments before getting into the bath, shivering as a warm tingling spread through her body. She shut the water off and relaxed into the water which was now filled with blueberry scented bubbles. Out in the bedroom, Grimmjow had picked up the scent and was trying not to chuckle.

'_Great, just fucking great!' _He thought with a groan. _'She found my bath gel,' _At that moment the Sexta heard a short cry and a loud splash. Completely forgetting that Alexis was naked, he rushed in a looked for the girl. "What the fuck happened?" He growled when she looked up at him. He was relieved that from the neck down, she was hidden by the bubbles.

"I slipped," She mumbled, rubbing her head.

"Watch what you're doing next time," He snapped before leaving once more. Another five minutes passed before Alexis drained the tub, dried off and dressed in her under garments and Grimmjow's extra uniform. It was fairly big on her but she made it fit, zipping the jacket to keep her modesty. The Sexta was amused by her alterations to his uniform, he would have preferred it if she had kept it the way he'd given it to her. "Do you want anything to eat at all?"

"I guess," She shrugged, not really caring. Grimmjow ordered a lower Arrancar to get some food and flopped down on the couch with Alexis on the other side.

"Aizen wants to see you later," He bit out, anger radiating from his body. "I'll be with you; there is no way I am leaving you alone with that fucking bastard."

"Okay," Alexis let out a shaky breath. If Aizen showed her the Hougyoku at such a close distance, there was no telling how her body would react, especially with the kido still in place. "Thank you, Grimmjow," She smiled nervously and tilted her head back to rest a little. She would not show it in front of him but she knew he could sense it, that she was still very frightened of him. She didn't know if she'd ever get over what had happened…

* * *

kai crazy: She's like my other character Akane... In a way. Anyway, reviews are very much encouraged! R&R plz!


	10. Meeting Aizen

kai crazy: I actually shortened this chapter purposely. Cursed Being of Light will have two parts to it, with the first part having 15 chapters. So I had to shorten these next few in order for that to work to my advantage. Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach

Claimer: I do own Alexis though.

Written while listening to: Random music XD

* * *

Grimmjow snarled at the lowly Arrancar that hid in the shadows, watching as he and Alexis passed by, their greedy eyes filled with hunger. Said teen kept her head held high to show she wasn't afraid of them and she really wasn't. Though anyone could tell from her body language and quick pace that she was in fact frightened of the Espada beside her; it was slightly amusing. This was only her second time seeing him outside his gigai and the first time was not something she liked to remember or wanted to remember.

**Alexis's P.O.V**

This place, Las Noches, was massively huge! I could easily get lost if I wasn't careful but I had Grimmjow to lead me around. Speaking of Grimmjow… I was really, really scared of him though I would not admit it to him. I've only seen him like this one time before and I was still frightened from that time. Every time he looks at me I think he is going to hit me for getting captured by that pale Arrancar, Ulquiorra. He has that predatory look in his eyes when he looks at me, like I'm his prey or something like that. We arrived at the doors of the Throne Room and Grimmjow stood before me, though I refused to meet his eyes. He touched my cheek and I automatically flinched, cursing when it did not go unnoticed.

**Normal P.O.V**

Grimmjow tch-ed and turned, announcing his and Alexis' arrival. The doors swung open and the pair advanced inside, stopping before the throne where Aizen sat. The brunette man smiled and shunpo'd down to meet them. Alexis stumbled back in surprise at his speed and would have fallen had it not been for Grimmjow.

"Good morning, Alexis Trinity," He greeted her kindly.

"G-good morning," She refused to speak his name.

"I do hope Grimmjow has been treating you well?" He glanced at the mentioned Espada who tightened his grip on the teen's shoulder and nodded.

"It's only been a few hours; there is little I could have done to annoy him in that time." Alexis chuckled nervously.

"Besides using my bath gel without asking," The Sexta mumbled, releasing her shoulder. The silver haired girl blushed and Aizen laughed lightly as he guided Alexis to a small table for some tea.

"Grimmjow, you may leave," Alexis's breath hitched softly, catching the Espada's attention.

"Sorry, Aizen-sama, but I have to stay with the brat," He ground out, standing beside her chair.

"I am not asking you to leave, Grimmjow, I am ordering you to leave." He looked directly into the Sexta's eyes and immediately the Espada felt the heavy weight of his reiatsu.

"Wait, please allow him to stay!" Alexis gasped out, momentarily distracting Aizen. The reiatsu lifted and the Sexta panted softly from forcing himself to remain standing under such pressure. "I-I feel quite safe when he is around and at the moment I would appreciate it if he was allowed to remain in the room at least." Aizen considered her words and nodded, smiling lightly. Grimmjow leaned against one of the far walls, his eyes locked on Alexis and Aizen, intently watching in case he was needed for interference or something.

"So tell me, my dear Alexis, when did you learn to control this power of yours?" Aizen began, noting her sudden uncomfortable squirming.

"Not very long ago," She replied quietly, looking directly into his eyes.

"Is that so?" Alexis swallowed hard, he didn't believe her. "Because I can see that the Soul Society has your powers sealed by kidou, very powerful kidou actually; most likely placed by members of the Kidou Corps. I should thank them really; they've merely completed a task for me. I would have done it myself before but as you know Grimmjow returned you to the Living World. These precautions are necessary to ensure you do not affect anyone unwillingly. Should they have left your power unbound, you would have been a threat to my Arrancar… that is if you had fought back." He smiled, and this time it was not pleasant. "In the future, those kidou will be removed so you may help in the creation of my Arrancar army." Alexis felt herself being pulled into the dark depths of the ex-taicho's eyes.

"Of course," She whispered, blinking away the haze and breaking eye contact.

"Tell me, do you know where Kisuke Urahara has hidden the second Hougyoku?" The teen's eyes widened and before she knew what had happened, she found herself behind Grimmjow's body, who was glaring at Aizen. "What are you doing, Grimmjow?" The brunette frowned at the Espada, displeased with his actions.

"Sorry, Aizen-sama, but I doubt he would give such information to this screw up of a kid," He bit out. "He's not dumb enough to trust that kind of information with a child."

"Kisuke never told me anything," Alexis piped in, her eyes wide and frightful as she looked around the Sexta's body.

"Well then, thank you for explaining that," He smiled. "I can see the logic in your words, Grimmjow, which is rare since you only ever speak of violence," The Sexta tried hard to ignore the insult that was so openly thrown at him. "You two may leave," Grimmjow nodded and gripped Alexis's wrist in his hand, dragging her away as quickly as possible without raising suspicion.

"You're hurting me!" The teen whimpered trying to free her wrist from the Espada's bruising grip. The Sexta stopped mid-stride and pulled Alexis in front of him, pushing her into a nearby wall.

"Next time he fucking pulls that shit, I am dragging your ass out of there, even if I get in trouble or some other shit!" He snarled down at her. His blue eyes found her cheek and hardened when he noticed the still healing marks from when he'd hit her. "Why isn't this healed?" He demanded in a gruff voice.

"I-I don't know," She stammered. Alexis soon found herself sitting on a bed with Grimmjow glaring at a medical Arrancar.

"Fix it!" He growled earning a frightened nod. The Arrancar examined her cheek and retrieved a sweet smelling cream which was rubbed into the healing cuts. The teen flinched when it began to burn and her eyes began to water from the pain.

"This is normal," The Arrancar assured the Sexta when he growled in an annoyed manner. The male cleaned the cream away with a wet cloth a few moments later and sure enough the burning sensation faded, leaving nothing but smooth unmarred flesh.

"Thank you," Alexis smiled at the Arrancar before Grimmjow whisked her away. The Sexta inspected her once marred cheek in amazement, there was nothing left of the previous cuts on her flesh.

"You should get some rest," Grimmjow grunted, leaning against a wall when they returned to his domain.

"I'm not very tired," She frowned, settling on the couch.

"Don't lie to me, brat," He snapped. "Keeping your power from eating at those kidou spells is draining you. I won't stand for taking care of you because you're too weak to do it your fucking self!" The Sexta promptly pushed away from the wall, grabbed Alexis by her wrist and tossed her onto the bed, growling down at her threateningly when she tried to get up. "You can sleep there, we Arrancar don't require that much sleep. Though Starrk may say otherwise," He chuckled at his own mention of the lazy Primera. The teen finally gave in and curled up on the too big bed, falling asleep quickly despite her earlier protests. Grimmjow made sure she was safe and hurried from the room, ordering a few Numeros to guard the room while he was gone. The Espada opened a garganta and headed for the Living World, he had to speak with Urahara about some matters.

**XxXxXx**

The teal haired Arrancar was expected from the looks of it. Urahara stood outside the shop, his eyes hidden by that hat of his and his arms crossed over his chest.

"I was wondering when you'd get here," The Shinigami half joked. "Is Alexis safe?"

"Why the fuck wouldn't she be?" He snorted. "You probably already know why I am here, but I'll ask anyway. How the hell did she connect herself to me?!"

"As a Cursed Pure Being, she can connect herself to those she believes will protect her, though you are currently only connected part-way for some reason. I am connected spiritually and mentally to Alexis, I can communicate with her through the connection."

"Like telepathy or something?" Urahara nodded.

"Though on a different level," His voice darkened then. "When a Cursed Being connects themselves to a person, it becomes impossible to break and if it is tried, both will experience great pain. I am her Guardian so I am bound to her for life, protecting her from anyone who threatens her safety. I've learned a few tricks over the years that may help should you become fully connected as a Guardian. Learn to block her conscious from your own because if she is injured it sometimes travels through the connection, causing you to feel what she does and it is not a pleasant feeling when you are trying to do something else at that exact time; it could even render you vulnerable during battle."

"What else should I know about this?"

"Not much else and if there is, you'll figure it out eventually," Grimmjow scowled when Urahara smiled teasingly. "Take care of her, Grimmjow, I don't want her getting hurt," The Sexta snorted at his words, he knew what he meant.

"Don't worry; I won't let anyone near her. And I don't like her that way; even if I did I still wouldn't want some idiot human like Ulquiorra." The Espada left, failing to see the amused look on Urahara's face, for he knew otherwise. It was only a matter of time…

**XxXxXx**

Grimmjow had no trouble slipping back into Las Noches which surprised him since the whole palace was on high alert. He decided not to dwell on it and hurried back to his domain, dismissing the Numeros when he arrived. He strode back into his private quarters as silent as a panther stalking its prey and looked down at Alexis, who was still fast asleep on his bed. He felt his hard expression soften and his tense muscles relax as he looked down at the unusual female. Had she been a normal human, he'd have not cared about Aizen finding the Hougyoku in her body, but she wasn't a normal human; hell she was barely human to begin with. The Sexta could only imagine what she truly looked like outside of her human guise, a beautiful being bathed in light, maybe even pure white wings sprouting from her back. He had never seen one before so he could only go with what his mind came up with. Grimmjow stopped himself from imagining other, inappropriate things about his charge and settled on the bed next to her.

He watched Alexis for some time, becoming drowsy from just watching her which was surprising as he had had a nice sleep about three days ago. He finally gave into the drowsy feeling and fell asleep, both arms behind his head as he slept.

* * *

kai crazy: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, the next one will be quite a bit more interesting as it has to do with the Hougyoku...


	11. Hougyoku Encounter

kai crazy: So it's taken so long for chapter 11 to be posted, I've been quite busy with school and color guard (we will be at state finals with the band next tuesday, go us!) so it'll be a while before chapter twelve is posted. Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, Tite Kubo does though.

Claimer: I own Alexis, end of story.

* * *

Grimmjow glanced at Alexis when he awoke, smirking when he found her still asleep, a peaceful expression on her face. His conscious brushed hers and she stirred though she otherwise remained asleep.

"Hey, brat, I'm gonna go wash up," He said quietly. You'd think a man would be embarrassed saying that to a girl he barely knew but not Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. He wouldn't be embarrassed by such a simple thing as hygiene. Hell, he bathed every day, twice a day in fact! The Sexta quickly slid off the bed and sauntered into the bathroom, cursing when he realized his extra uniforms were either being repaired or washed and his last one had been given to Alexis. _'Guess I'll wear these again,' _He thought in slight disgust. They were only a day old and were still intact, so they would have to do. The teal haired Arrancar stripped out of his clothes and hopped into the now warm shower, a blissful groan escaping his lips as the water ran over his body. He hurriedly washed and dressed, not caring about how his clothing clung to his damp skin; he just wanted to check on Alexis.

The Espada's gaze hardened when an all too familiar scent wafted into his room and was soon at his door. He scowled and stalked up, opening to door before the person could even knock.

"What the fuck do you want?" He sneered at Ulquiorra, his rage boiling as he remembered it had been him who had captured Alexis.

"Aizen-sama wishes to see the girl again." He replied, unfazed by the Sexta's language and obvious anger towards him.

"Tell him that the brat ain't feeling well," He snorted. He'd just spoken with Alexis the day before, what could he possibly want with her now?

"That is no concern of mine," He continued slipping his hands into his pockets. "Aizen-sama has given me permission to take her if you refuse and she will be placed in my care for the remainder of the time she is here." The Sexta growled and went back into his room, pulling Alexis into his arms. He kept his expression hard as he hurried past the Cuatro, he did not need to give the Espada another reason to call him trash. The Sexta looked down at Alexis when she groaned and clutched at his open jacket as though she were in pain. He slowed to a walk and gave her arm a squeeze to gain her attention.

"Brat, what is it? I can't exactly read your mind," He muttered lowly so Ulquiorra could not hear him.

"My chest hurts," She whimpered, her dual colored eyes reflecting the internal pain she felt. Grimmjow merely cursed and held her a little closer, glaring at Ulquiorra when he took the lead. He noted that the pain seemed to grow worse the closer they got to where ever it was Ulquiorra was leading them. And then it hit him. They were being taken to Aizen's private rooms which immediately set off warning bells in Grimmjow's mind.

"Ulquiorra entering," The Sexta snapped out of his daze when the Cuatro spoke. The two Espada walked into the room where the smaller of the two bowed respectfully, while Grimmjow merely inclined his head to their lord.

"Thank you, Ulquiorra, you may go," The Cuatro once again bowed and quickly left. Aizen focused his attention on Alexis and Grimmjow then, frowning when he noticed the teens' condition. "Is she not well?" The Sexta jumped, though he quickly composed himself.

"Yeah, she ain't feeling too good," He confirmed quietly.

"That is unfortunate," The brunette sighed. "Her kind does not react well to the atmosphere in Hueco Mundo," Grimmjow's eyes narrowed slightly when Aizen's lips twisted up and a glint appeared in his eyes. It was a lie.

"Of course, I forgot about that," He kept a straight face; he would play along for now.

"Alexis, my dear, would you kindly stop your act?" Grimmjow felt the teen stiffen in his arms.

"Forgive me, I had a headache and wished to close my eyes," She gazed over at the ex-taicho boredly. The Sexta set her on her feet and shoved his hands in his pockets, his mouth set in a frown. Aizen motioned for the girl to approach him and she did, with her head held high, making the teal haired Espada smirk. Aizen smiled and held his hand out, summoning the pillar that hid the Hougyoku. He tapped the pillar lightly and the object of interest was revealed to the rooms' occupants. Alexis's breath hitched and for a few seconds, her eyes became glazed over.

"This is the Hougyoku," Aizen began to explain. "It's able to break down the barrier between Hollow and Shinigami, creating what you know as Arrancar."

"If used on a Shinigami, they can be turned into a Vizard," The teen whispered more to herself than to Aizen. The ex-taicho raised an eyebrow, he had seen her lips move but it had been too quick for him to make out what it was she had said.

"Speak up, dear, I did not quite catch that," Alexis jumped in surprise at his voice.

"It-it was nothing," She apologized quickly. "I was merely muttering to myself," She cracked a small smile. Aizen suddenly stood before her, Hougyoku in hand as he smiled down at her. Alexis gasped in surprise, her eyes locked onto the glowing sphere in the brunette's hand. Grimmjow tensed and clamped his jaw shut, suppressing the urge to jump between the teen and Aizen.

"Would you like to see how it works?" It wasn't a request. Alexis nodded, her body trembling as it fought the reaction her heart was trying to cause. Aizen smiled and walked around her, motioning for her and Grimmjow to follow him. Alexis made to follow the man when the Sexta's hand shot out and roughly caught her wrist, pulling her back to him.

"If I'd known he was gonna pull this shit, I'd have forced you to stay back in my quarters." He grunted, squeezing her wrist when she tried to pull away. "I'd rather not lose my place as an Espada again so we had better follow the damn bastard." Grimmjow lifted the teen into his arms and used his sonido to hurry to the throne room, where Aizen and any available Espada awaited their arrival. The teal haired Arrancar set her down just before they entered and walked in behind her, glaring at Nnoitra when he began to eyeball Alexis; the Quinta was smart enough to look away when he realized Grimmjow was glaring at him.

"When a power is exerted that is stronger than captain level, the Hougyoku will momentarily awaken from its slumber." Aizen explained, holding a hand over the Hougyoku. Grimmjow stood by Alexis's side and looked down at her when she gasped. He noted a faint glow under the jacket he'd given her and swore.

'_Shit!'_ Unsure of what to do, the Sexta pulled the small human against his chest, wrapping one arm around her chest to hopefully hide this new reaction. He hissed when her power began to seep into his body, forcing his hollow side to the surface due to his close range and contact with her. Grimmjow kept it at bay as the girl squirmed uncomfortably in his grasp, biting at her lower lip when she felt some of the kidou begin to fail or activate. Alexis fought hard to keep her growing power suppressed but with her 'twin' in its momentary awakened state at such close range… it was nearly impossible. The Sexta suddenly felt her body go limp in his grasp and swore aloud without meaning to do so. This caught Ulquiorra's attention.

'_That girl… Something seems very unusual about her.' _He thought, carefully avoiding Grimmjow's annoyed gaze. _'It's not her Cursed powers though, no, it has something to do with something else.' _Ulquiorra looked down, pulled a hand from his pocket and clenched it tightly. _'I noticed it the first time I was told to retrieve her but it is different now, this feeling I get from being near her. When I touched her a strange feeling ran through my entire body, as though it were numb and my reiatsu unexpectedly spiked for a short time. Now that she is here in Hueco Mundo, something is different; the numbing sensation is lasting longer than I initially observed…. Perhaps she is somehow connected to the Hougyoku?' _His attention was then focused back on Aizen when the new Arrancar was 'born' and the Hougyoku returned to its slumber.

"Oh dear, it seems ya overdid it, Aizen-taicho," Gin noted, though his voice was teasing. "Th' poor girl passed out," Aizen turned from the newly formed Arrancar to confirm the silver haired mans words. Indeed Alexis had passed out and was now resting on the floor at Grimmjow's feet.

"Her power was just given an unexpected boost by the momentary awakening of the Hougyoku. This put a strain on the kidou placed on her body, essentially flooding her system to the point that it shut itself down to protect her body." Aizen explained, almost as though he'd known it would happen. "She'll be fine in a few hours," His gaze drifted to the other Espada in the room. "Everyone except for Grimmjow may leave," Ulquiorra made a mental not of his suspicions as well as the Sexta's small reactions as he left. Once the room was cleared, Aizen made his way towards Alexis's body, Hougyoku once again in hand. "Be cautious, Grimmjow, the kidou on her body have weakened considerably and will not last much longer in their current state. I would advise you to seek out Gin or myself should they all begin to fail." He smiled when the Espada nodded and walked past the Sexta, with Gin giving him a knowing look as he passed by.

Grimmjow was tempted to test out their connection but decided against it after remembering her unprovoked attack back in the Living World. With an annoyed sigh, the teal haired Espada scooped Alexis up and made his way back to his domain, ignoring the burning sensation he felt in his arms and torso. By the time he set her down on the bed, most of Grimmjow's body felt like it was on fire and he had been partially forced into his Resurrección form. He swore loudly as the sensation spread through his entire body, forcing him fully into his Resurrección form. He heard Alexis stir on the bed and stood completely still, only moving his head to look over his shoulder. The teen groaned and her eye lids fluttered as she began to awaken. Grimmjow quickly darted into the bathroom, closing the door as quietly as possible and leaning back against it.

"Grimmjow…?" The Espada held his breath when her voice floated through the door.

**Grimmjow's P.O.V**

"Grimmjow…?" I held my breath, not answering to the call despite my usual compulsiveness at hearing my name spoken. I wanted her to believe I had left; I didn't want her to see me like this… in my Resurrección form. I knew she was afraid of me and that was what I wanted of her but I knew full well that seeing me like this would cause her to push me away geminately and that was not what I wanted her to do. Back in the Living World, I had frightened her through pain, so that she would stay away from me and our contact would be minimal; that still applied here in Hueco Mundo. My plan had been simple, the less contact we had, the less that bastard Aizen would suspect. "Where are you?" I shut my eyes, hearing the panic in the brat's voice was nerve raking.

My plan was now ruined because of fucking Ulquiorra and Aizen, who had assigned me to be her care taker; a title I was not fond of.

"I'm scared, Grimmjow," My enhanced hearing picked up her soft whisper. I had a feeling she knew I was still around and was just screwing around to draw me out. Like hell I was going to fall for that crappy act. "My chest really hurts," I heard her gasp and spun around, my hand gripping the doorknob tightly. I scented the air flowing into the bathroom and cursed, her reiatsu was leaking from her body at what I thought was a steady rate, though others would day otherwise.

"Brat, get yourself under control," I finally growled. "I can't get near you with that damn reiatsu of yours so out of control."

"It's not me, it's the-"

"Keep your fucking mouth shut!" I nearly roared at her. "You never fucking know who might be listening!" I felt the strange reiatsu begin to recede and gave a heavy sigh as my body returned to normal. I yanked the door open and stormed out, glaring at the brat who was panting softly from exhaustion and pain. Ah, music to my ears. Now, to deal with a certain few issues…

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kai crazy: I hope you like this chapter because Grimmjow is about to get violent again... Reviews are welcomed as always!


	12. Control

kai crazy: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up, I've been crazy busy and at the moment I am pissed at my color guard director for putting me on JV again for the second year in a row. Anyway, enjoy this... Even though Grimmjow is a tad violent again.

Disclaimer: I no own Bleach

Claimer: I do own Alexis.

**

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**Normal P.O.V**

"If that shit happens again, I'm taking you to Ichimaru." Grimmjow growled at the already frightened girl. Alexis remained silent; she knew the Sexta didn't trust any of the ex-taicho's, Tousen and Aizen especially.

"What if he…"

"He won't!" The Espada snapped angrily, cutting her off. "And even if he does, he won't get very far," Alexis felt a wave of renewed fear wash over her when the indirect threat was made. Their eyes met and the teen was suddenly ashamed of not just herself but her lack of control over her own power.

"I want to speak with him," She spoke up, raising her eyes to meet his again.

"Who would that be?" Grimmjow's blue eyes hardened and that predatory gleam returned.

"Aizen," She forced herself to speak the man's name. As soon as the name left her mouth, Grimmjow had her by the front of her jacket, lifting her up away from the bed so she had nothing to support her lower body.

"No fucking way!" He snarled, clenching the jacket in his hand tightly. "There is no fucking way in hell I'm letting you near that bastard after what just fucking happened!" With an angry shout, Grimmjow slammed Alexis into a wall, smirking when her head connected with an audible crack. "That fucking Shinigami ain't here to protect you from the things that go bump in the night anymore, brat." He leaned in close, his eyes boring into her dual colored orbs.

"S-stop!" She gasped out, weakly clinging to his wrist.

"No, I won't!" He growled, pressing her against her body harshly. "You just don't seem to understand the threat that Aizen poses to you; he'd fucking kill you the minute he found out your secret! Urahara ain't here to save you anymore so I'm the only thing standing between you and Aizen; I'll be damned if I let him get his hands on you!" The Sexta pressed closer still, earning a cry of pain from the teen. "I'm in charge here, brat, this is _my _domain and as such, you'll listen to me and only me, got it?" He roughly pressed his knuckles into her throat, making her gasp.

"You-you're hurting me!" She gave a chocked sob. Grimmjow went to snap at her again when a glistening substance behind her caught his attention. The Sexta stepped back, Alexis hanging almost limp in his grasp and stared in shock at the blood stained wall.

"Brat, can you hear me?" He ground out, receiving only a pained moan in response. "Dammit, brat, open your eyes! I know you aren't thinking of fucking dying on me now!" The Espada cradled Alexis in his arms and carefully examined the back of her head, swearing when he realized how severe it was. _'Fuck, I fucking cracked her head open!' _Without even a second thought, Grimmjow sonidoed to the Medical Wing; and began shouting for someone to treat the girl, who was quickly taken into another room for examination.

"Grimmjow-sama, may I ask how this happened?" An Arrancar asked, startling the obviously jumpy Espada.

"She fell and cracked her head on a damn table edge!" He snapped automatically earning a skeptical look.

"The injury is far more extensive than one would expect for that kind of fall. The amount of damage suggests that a great amount of force was used or present at the time the injury was received."

"Are you saying you don't believe me?" The Sexta gave the Arrancar a truly menacing look that caused the poor male to pale and shrink back in fear.

"O-of course not, please forgive my brash assumption," He apologized, bowing deeply.

"Whatever, now quit your yapping and go heal the brat," Again he bowed and quickly darted away. A flurry of activity erupted inside the infirmary around the enraged Sexta. Through it all, Grimmjow kept his eyes on Alexis, becoming increasingly concerned when her flesh began to lose more and more of its color.

"She's losing too much blood!" He heard a nurse, who was watching her vital signs, shout.

"We don't have human blood on hand, only Szayel-sama would!" Immediately Grimmjow was on his feet, mind racing as he processed the situation.

"Go get the damn pansy!" He snarled at one of the Arrancar who quickly scrambled away. The Sexta could feel Alexis slowly slipping away but he was determined to keep her alive, clinging to her soul through their new connection so she could not fade away. In moments, Szayel appeared with two of his fracción, carrying a cooler of sorts that held bags of blood. The Octava examined the injury and began barking orders while he himself set up an IV drip to give Alexis blood.

"My oh my, it's so noisy in here," Grimmjow whipped around, glaring at Ichimaru. "Oh? What's happened?"

"The brat got herself injured," He ground out.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd have ta say you were the cause of her injury." The Sexta bristled but refused to acknowledge the shinigami's words. "Don't worry, I won't tell Aizen but I will warn you to get your temper under control." With a playful smile and a wave, he was gone. The Espada muttered to himself angrily and turned around, only to find his path blocked by Szayel.

"You are lucky I was available to come down here, Grimmjow," He drawled, flipping his hair. The teal haired Espada snorted, the Octava had probably abandoned an experiment to come treat Alexis, and there was no way he would pass up such an opportunity. "Normal human blood will suffice, as her blood makes it its own, thus keeping it pure. The trauma to her head is beginning to heal on it's own due to her sudden increase in power and the weakened kidou. I had to suture the area but it will heal without any sort of scars."

"That's good," He muttered, releasing his held breath. He could imagine how Urahara would react to his daughter coming back with a scar on her head…. And it freaked him out.

"Tell me something," Szayel began, startling the Sexta from his thoughts. "Do you know about the two scars on her chest?" The Espada nodded slowly. "What are they from exactly?"

"She had a bad heart as a kid and they had to do open heart surgery," He muttered, glaring weakly at the Octava. "Or so she had told me," The two Espada walked to Alexis's bedside where Szayel unzipped part of the teens' jacket. Grimmjow lurched forward but the Octava quickly stopped him.

"Relax you impulsive dimwit," He sighed. "I've not exposed anything," The other Espada craned his neck to confirm his words. "The scar extending from the top of her sternum to the bottom indicates that she did in fact undergo open heart surgery but the one on her left breasts puzzles me." Szayel kept his eyes on Grimmjow as he lightly brushed his fingertips over the scar. He didn't linger when he felt the Sexta's anger radiating from his body. "Do you know anything about it at all?"

"She doesn't even know about it and pressuring her for information she doesn't know is pointless as hell." He snorted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I see," He pushed his glasses up. "If she displays powers stronger than she already possess, I shall want to examine her." He smiled sadistically making the Sexta growl low in his throat. "You may take her back, just be sure to check on the wound every so often and find me if it gets worse." After Alexis was taken off all the machines, Szayel sauntered off with his two fracción quickly following behind him. Grimmjow cradled Alexis in his arms carefully and hurried back to his domain, settling her limp body on the bed and placing a towel under her head to keep any blood off his pillows. The Sexta brushed a strand of hair out of Alexis's face and cupped her cheek in his palm, becoming amused by how soft her flesh was against his calloused hand.

He wanted to use their connection to see if she was alright but he knew it would be risky considering her current condition.

'_Sorry for hurting you like that, brat, but it really pissed me off to hear that,' _He thought, pulling his hand away._ 'What good am I as your baby sitter if I don't show some discipline?' _He zipped her jacket up and made sure to lock all doors to the main room before slipping into his study, flopping onto the extra bed there. The Espada put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes, thinking over everything that had transpired since their first meeting and her arrival in Hueco Mundo. He soon drifted into an unexpected slumber that was filled with death.

**XxXxXx**

Grimmjow jolted upright with a gasp of shock. His eyes searched the dark room wildly, panting heavily as he tried to calm down.

'_Shit! What the fuck was that?!' _He looked down at his shaking hands, clenching them in his lap. It had been that dream again, the one he'd had the night before Alexis was brought to Hueco Mundo for the second and final time. But it had been far more different. He'd been racing through the crumbling halls of Las Noches as fast as he could. He had rammed into the door of his quarters, forcing his way in only to be taken aback by the strong scent of blood. He remembered becoming enraged at the destroyed contents of his room and the various blood stains caused panic to claw at him. He remembered suddenly screaming in pain as blood flowed from unseen wounds on his body, particularly from his chest.

The Espada had then stumbled to the bed and howled in rage. Alexis had been murdered… and the gaping hole in the left side of her chest told him exactly who had committed the gruesome act. Sosuke Aizen. He had woken up then; the shock had been too great.

'_Damn it to fucking hell!'_ He thought getting up from the bed. With an unusual feeling of paranoia, Grimmjow hurried back to the main room, slamming the door once he arrived. The Sexta swore lowly when his human charge jolted from what he guessed was a rather peaceful slumber from the looks of it. Alexis looked at him, fright evident in her dual colored eyes. The Sexta hated that look with every fiber of his being. "What're you staring at, brat?" He snarled, slowly advancing towards the over-sized bed.

"You-you scared me is all," She stammered, clutching a hand to her chest. "You came in here so suddenly that you startled me from my sleep," Grimmjow relaxed his tense muscles as he swiftly examined her, finding nothing out of the ordinary.

"How's your head?" He grunted, looking at the healing wound.

"It feels a lot better," She sighed when she felt his fingertips touch the newly healed flesh. "About before…"

"Forget about it," He cut her off. "I'm over it already. Why do you want to talk to him anyway?"

"So I can learn to control my power," She whispered.

"I'll let you talk to him and train a bit but if I think he's getting too damn nosey, I'll personally end your training, got it?!" She nodded and the Sexta scooped her into his arms. Before she knew it, they were in the throne room.

"What an unexpected surprise," Aizen mused. "What brings the two of you here?"

"I'd like to discuss a certain matter of importance," Alexis spoke up when Grimmjow set her on her feet. "It's important to me anyway," She looked down for a moment but looked up again. Both Aizen and Grimmjow were amused by the look of determination on her face and the fierceness in her eyes.

"And what might that be?" The brunette rested his cheek in his palm.

"I'd like to be taught to control my power," Her voice was stronger than Grimmjow had ever heard it.

"What has brought this about?" Aizen's gaze drifted to the Sexta who stiffened and growled.

"Too many incidents occurred back in the Living World and I do not want to affect people unwillingly anymore. I do not wish to be controlled by my own power!" Alexis held Aizen's gaze, not moving an inch or even flinching when his smile widened.

"I see but you realize that in order for you to fully control your power, the kidou on your body would need to be removed?" The teen's confidence fell. "It's too risky, don't you agree? How about I have Grimmjow or Ulquiorra teach you to fight with a sword for now, as I'm quite sure you have one hidden deep in your soul." He smiled kindly.

"That will suffice," She sighed, defeated.

"It is settled then," Aizen stated. "You will train with Grimmjow for some time today and Ulquiorra later; you will alternate between them okay?" Alexis nodded and the Sexta grasped her shoulder, leading her away.

"This should be interestin'," Gin smiled, appearing at Aizen's side.

"Why do you say that?" The brunette smiled even more.

"Cursed Pure Being's are known ta be fierce fighters when they awaken their true powers. She might actually hurt little Grimmy if she isn't careful."

"Hmm, that would be quite interesting to see but with her true powers sealed, the chances of her actually hurting him are slim to none." Aizen chuckled, "We'll just have to wait and see."

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kai crazy: I hope you are enjoying this story so far, it's only got three more chapters.... Until part 2! Yes, there is a second part to this story, I'm not that evil as to leave you hanging on chapter 15. Anway, enjoy the next few, as they get rather violent considering the Grimmjow vs Ichigo one is coming up soon. R&R!


	13. A Hollow and Training

kai crazy: Two days in a row! Hope you like this chapter, though I think Grimmjow got a bit OOC... Anyway, enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

Claimer: I do own Alexis.

"..." normal conversation

**"..." **inner Hollow

_'...'_ Thoughts

_"..." _connection thoughts

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Alexis panted and collapsed against a nearby wall. Grimmjow had been training her non-stop for the past three hours to summon her zanpaku-tō, which had in fact been hidden deep within her soul. Together they had found its resting place and had managed to find a crack in the kidou around it in order to allow Alexis to call upon it.

"C'mon brat, we ain't done yet!" The teen cried out when Grimmjow lunged at her, a crazed look on his face as he raised Pantera to strike her. Her zanpaku-tō appeared in her outstretched hands quickly, allowing her to block the Espada's attack. Grimmjow's smirk fell when an eerie laugh was heard from the teen, growing louder as she pushed him back.

"**I should thank you, Arrancar," **The Sexta bristled at how dark and very feminine the voice was. He knew it could not belong to Alexis. **"By helping Alexis to free Ryuhime, you allowed me to slip into her subconscious and take control." **She looked up, revealing a pair of menacing gold eyes. **"Take care of my Queen, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez; otherwise you will not enjoy my next visit!" **As she said this, she walked up to the Sexta and traced his jaw line. She blew him a kiss and her eyes slid shut. Grimmjow wrapped an arm around her waist to break her fall, pulling her to him as his mind tried to process what had just happened.

"Wha-what happened?" Alexis groaned, opening her eyes. The Espada was relieved to see they were back to their normal dual color.

"Trainings over for today," Grimmjow bit out, releasing the girl. "Let's go," As he walked he sheathed Pantera, burying his hands in his pockets. Ryuhime disappeared and Alexis hurried after him, her eyes downcast, her hands clasped in front of her. _'I should have known,' _He thought bitterly. _'Not only does she have Hollow abilities, she has an inner Hollow just like that fucking Kurosaki!' _He mulled over everything he'd ever noticed about Alexis but nothing seemed to add up… how could he have missed it? His mind suddenly went back to the power she'd displayed in the hospital. He compared it to that of Alexis's Hollow and swore. _'So it really wasn't her fault,' _He cursed mentally.

They arrived back in Grimmjow's quarters and almost immediately the Sexta was on high alert.

"What's going on?" Alexis whimpered, pressing herself against a wall. Her slowly awakening powers were growing and evolving, she could sense strong reiatsu's from longer distances.

"They've entered Tres Cifras and have encountered the Privaron Espada, the fallen Espada," Grimmjow bit out, excitement evident in his eyes. "It won't be much longer until I get my rematch with Kurosaki," He touched the scar on his chest briefly before dropping his hand back to his side. Alexis cringed at the blood lust radiating from the Espada's body but tired hard to hide her fear. The Sexta noticed this and became enraged, whipping around to face her. He trapped her against the wall and pulled his lips back in a snarl.

"I-I'm not afraid of you," She squeaked out, though her trembling body and wide eyes gave her away.

"Brat, quite trying to act like you're not afraid of me because I know you are!" He snarled, eyes narrowed dangerously. He saw her eyes widen and gave a bitter smile. "That's what I thought," He pushed himself away and headed for the bathroom to shower. He heard Alexis scurry to the bed and sighed as he stripped out of his clothes. The Sexta let the warm water roll over his tense body, relaxing his aching muscles and cleaning out a small scratch received during training. Even over the running water, Grimmjow heard Alexis sniffling and groaned inwardly; she was such a damn baby!

'_I'll let her sulk a while longer,' _He thought boredly. _'She needs to learn to just get over things,' _The Espada swept his hands back through his hair, pushing it away from his face.

**Grimmjow's P.O.V**

The brat was trying to pull a guilt trip on me for no fucking reason but I knew better than to fall for it. She had to start realizing that I wasn't going to comfort her like Urahara probably did when she cried. I wasn't going to baby her; I mean she's freaking 17! She needs to grow up already… I'm sending her back after I fight Kurosaki, I'd thought of this a long time ago. She didn't belong here in Hueco Mundo, she was probably happy living as a normal human and I bet she just wanted to go home… Hell, I wanted her to go back, was that so strange?

**Normal P.O.V**

Grimmjow finished with his shower and stepped out, loosely wrapping a towel around his waist. He opened the door and took a startled step back when he nearly tripped over a curled up figure.

"Damn idiot," He swore under his breath. The Sexta bent down and swept the sleeping teen up into his arms, muttering to himself still. He went to the bed and set her down, pulling the covers over her tiny body to ensure she was warm. "What are you thinking lying near the damn door?" He continued to mutter to himself as he went about getting dressed and fixing his hair. Grimmjow felt the need to go prepare for his rematch against Ichigo but he was hesitant. It would mean leaving Alexis alone and without protection; which meant training was absolutely out of the question. He could tell Aizen had begun to suspect something and the Sexta was not so dumb as to chance leaving the girl alone even for a few minutes, especially when a certain fox faced Shinigami was prowling the halls.

The Espada settled for completing various stacks of work in his study for the remainder of the day, checking on Alexis now and then and also keeping a tab on the whereabouts of Ichigo. For a brief time he considered sending Alexis to stay with Aizen's Pet-sama, Inoue Orihime, but dismissed the idea immediately. Ulquiorra was bound to suspect something and Grimmjow knew damn well that the Cuatro would investigate with or without Aizen's permission.

'_He won't ever get that chance,' _He thought with a low growl. The Sexta finished his current task and slipped back into the bedroom to check on Alexis. The sight he was met with made his blood boil and his first and most basic thought was to kill the intruder. "ULQUIORRA!?!" He roared, startling the already frightened Alexis. How the hell had he slipped in unnoticed? The Cuatro turned his emotionless green eyes to the enraged Sexta, slipping his hand back into his pocket as he did so. "Get the fuck out of here!" He snarled, stalking up to the smaller Espada.

"And why should I listen to such foul mouthed trash?" He asked in that annoying condescending voice of his. Grimmjow grabbed the front of the pale man's uniform and easily lifted him off the ground, his anger only rising when he did nothing to free himself.

"It's an invasion of my privacy, as well as hers," He growled tightening his grip. "Unless you actually have business in here, I suggest you high-tail your pale ass out of my room!"

"The kidou on her body are weak, Sexta, you may want to consider having them repaired or removed." With that, Ulquiorra grabbed his wrist and squeezed painfully until he was released with a hiss of pain from the taller man. He pushed his wrist away and stuck his hands in his pockets. "The girl will be training with me later," That was all he said before he left.

"Oi, brat, you okay over there?" He gazed over at her trembling form and narrowed his eyes. In a split second, Alexis found Grimmjow in front of her, his eyes fixed on her wrist. He roughly grabbed her small hand in his and pulled her arm up so he could examine it. There, covering her entire wrist was what looked like burn marks on her flesh, almost the exact imprint of Ulquiorra's fingers. _'The reaction to his touch caused her flesh to burn upon contact; no doubt that bastard has a seared palm now. Serves him right but why isn't it happening to me?' _He pushed the thought away and brought her wrist up.

"S-stop…" She protested weakly when his lips touched the burnt flesh. Grimmjow ignored this and lapped at the wound soothingly, acting much like a mother cat caring for one of its kittens. He quickly got some gauze and wrapped her wrist before looking into her eyes.

"Is there anywhere else?" She shook her head, clutching her wrist to her chest. "I'm gonna oversee your training with Ulquiorra later, I don't trust him one bit being alone with you."

"No, you need to stay here," She whispered. "I want to train without having to be watched over."

"You realize that Aizen will be watching you train from wherever he is right?" She nodded slowly.

"I know he will not interfere should something go wrong, as I know you would." The Sexta smirked at that comment.

"You're an idiot, you know that? I only go with you to make sure Aizen don't find anything out."

"I know but I have to learn to not depend on those around me so much. I'll never get stronger if I don't learn to defend myself."

"Fine, but if anything goes wrong, it'll be the last time I let you do this, ya hear?" She nodded with a small smile.

**XxXxXx**

As promised, Grimmjow remained in his private quarters while Alexis was taken to train with Ulquiorra. She quickly learned that the Cuatro Espada was not as lenient as Grimmjow had been.

"You are barely trying, girl," He stated with a sigh. "If you wish to protect yourself, you will have to try harder," Alexis placed a hand on the wall and pulled herself up, Ryuhime gripped tightly in her hand. Her dual colored eyes observed the Espada, trying to find any point of weakness or opening. The girl rushed forward as fast as she could, making it seem as though she were going to attack him head-on. Ulquiorra sighed and took a step back to avoid her strike and was surprised to find her behind him, Ryuhime pressed to his pale throat. "You are quite fast for one unable to use shunpo or sonido," He commented warily.

"I catch on fast once I observe someone," Her Hollow eye flashed. Ulquiorra noted this and moved before she could attempt to slice his throat. He caught her wrist and held it harshly as he stared down at her.

"You have either spent far too much time with that trash Grimmjow or this is how you truly are."

"I wouldn't know," She scoffed. "I barely understand what I am to begin with," The Cuatro regarded this with a quick nod.

"I have been told that Cursed Pure Beings, male and female alike, are fierce fighters. I have yet to see that kind of thing from you and I now see that it is necessary to teach you proper swordsmanship." He squeezed her wrist and Ryuhime clattered to the floor. He released her wrist and stepped away, motioning for her to pick it up again. "I now take it upon myself to teach you the skills and techniques that you so badly lack with a sword."

**XxXxXx**

Alexis collapsed onto the bed once Ulquiorra returned her to Grimmjow's quarters and groaned loudly. Her arms felt heavy and dead from how ruthless Ulquiorra had been in teaching her. And she knew it would only get worse…

"Starting to regret your decision, brat?" Alexis turned her head to look up at a grinning Grimmjow.

"No," She muttered stubbornly. The Sexta let out a bark of laughter and sat on the edge of the bed, that grin still plastered on his face.

"You should go take a bath, it'll help relax your muscles," The teen looked at him curiously. "I can tell your muscles are tense and stiff from here and taking a bath will help." Alexis groaned and tried pushing herself up, gasping in pain and shock when she felt one of Grimmjow's strong arms wrap around her middle. The Sexta growled to himself for his habit of acting before thinking and lifted the teen as gently as possible. The girl didn't resist, she was exhausted and knew resisting would get her nowhere. The Espada set her down in the bathroom and retreated back to his room so the girl could bathe in peace. This would be the last time she would be near him for a while and the last time she would be at peace within the walls of Las Noches, though that peace had been quite rare the last few days. Tomorrow evening, he was sending her back with Kurosaki and his friends...

* * *

kai crazy: Two chapters left until the end of part 1! Hope you like 'em! Plz R&R


	14. Questions and Boredom

kai crazy: Okay this was kinda just a filler chapter I thought of, though some of what Alexis's Hollow says holds some significance later in the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

Claimer: I do however own Alexis.

"..." normal conversation

**"..." **inner Hollow

_'...' _Normal thoughts

_"..." _connection thoughts

* * *

"Today is my rematch with Kurosaki Ichigo," Grimmjow murmured. He and Alexis were in his room, listening to any and all information about the intruders as it flooded in.

"Don't kill him," Alexis whispered. Ichigo was one of her best friends; she did not want him dying because of a stupid rematch.

"I'll fight him until one of us gives up or something, but I ain't gonna kill the kid, he still has a job to do." He glanced at the teen tiredly. "I'm sending you back." The teen's dual colored eyes widened at his words. "You don't belong here, brat, you belong in the Living World, away from me and this hell hole."

"You won't be coming back with me, will you?" He scoffed at this, she knew his answer.

"I told you, I'm sending you back with Kurosaki. I don't plan on protecting your ass after the war is over, it just isn't my style. I'm just protecting you right now because the blonde guy kinda asked me to plus Aizen has enough damn power, he doesn't need anymore. Berry boy and the blonde man can take over after this."

"Thank you… I think," Alexis sighed and suddenly brought a hand to her eye when it began to burn. Grimmjow felt the familiar presence of the Hollow and growled low in his throat when the teen removed her hand, revealing two golden eyes.

"Why can't you stay in her subconscious, woman?" He growled at her.

**"Because I just _had _to talk to you,"** The Sexta felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. **"I heard everything and I must say I'm quite shocked that you are actually sending us away. My Queen will miss you, her big, strong Guardian."** She easily caught the look of surprise that crossed his face. **"You really are as thick headed as I thought,"** She laughed coldly. **"You mean to say you didn't feel the change in your connection? That tug at your soul as it grew stronger? I doubt even the Queen knows of the sudden change, as she was… indisposed when it happened."**

"You're speaking nonsense," The Sexta brushed it off. "I can't be her Guardian, I'm leaving her to Urahara and Berry boy after tonight."

**"That's what you say now but I know differently,"** A teasing smile graced her lips. **"You may be abandoning your post now, Grimmjow, but I know you'll be back, you always come back."** She laughed and closed her eyes, slumping over slightly as she retreated to her place once more. The Sexta pushed his confused thoughts aside as Alexis opened her eyes, slightly confused as to what had happened.

"So what the hell do you want to do now?" He grunted in a bored voice.

"I don't know, train?" She suggested, biting her lip.

"That's completely out of the question," Grimmjow frowned. "You know as well as I do that any type of training with either Ulquiorra or myself will end up with you getting injured and I don't want to hand you over to Kurosaki all beat up."

"Then you think of something because that's all I can come up with," She raised her eyes, holding her chin high as the Espada stared directly at her.

"Don't test me, brat," He hissed out, clenching his teeth together.

"You shot my idea down, so why don't you come up with something?" Grimmjow lunged at her, wrapping his hand around her slender throat loosely and straddling her hips.

"You are testing my patience, brat!" He snarled, enjoying the fearful look she gave him. "Anything I choose to do will get you injured and I will not allow you to wander Las Noches on your own! Especially with that fucking bastard Nnoitra skulking around," Alexis knew of the Quinta. She'd seen him several times and to be honest, he freaked her out more than Grimmjow did; especially when he winked and mouthed dirty things to her.

"We could question each other about our lives?" She suggested quietly. Grimmjow blinked at her in confusion then.

"Why the hell would I want to do that?" He snorted, his fingertips now lightly caressing the flesh of her throat.

"It doesn't include any fighting," The Sexta considered this and shrugged, letting the teen sit up. Alexis sat with her knees drawn up to her chin, her arms wrapped around them while the Espada sat Indian style, his elbow propped up on his knee and his cheek in his palm. "You first," She urged him.

"When is your birthday?" The teen was slightly shocked by his question. She tried to read his thoughts through the connection but he put up a mental wall to stop her from intruding upon his thoughts.

"I believe it is May 26th," She whispered. "I won't ask the same of you as I know you are far older than I could possibly comprehend." Smart girl. "What kind of Hollow were you?"

"I was a panther-type Adjuchas," He grinned proudly. "Don't you dare call me a fucking kitty cat!" He growled when Alexis giggled.

"I won't," She promised, calming down from her fit of giggles.

"What's Berry boy to you?"

"Ichigo is like a brother to me, an older brother actually, even though he is a year younger than me. I didn't have very many friends when I was little but then I met Ichigo, Tatsuki, Orihime, and even Chad in middle school and they became my first real friends. We are a family in a way and that's how it will always be." She bit her lip, resisting the urge to blurt that Ichigo was bisexual and leaned more towards men. "Why do you hate Ulquiorra so much?"

"The guys a fucking prick," He snorted. "He thinks he's so much better than everyone else and he's Aizen's personal lap-dog. He's always looking down on me and calling me trash."

"So I've heard," Alexis giggled. She couldn't help but imagine the Sexta with twitching cat ears and a tail due to his curiosity and his anger towards the Cuatro. So in other words, he looked like a kitten.

"Do you plan on finishing high school?"

"Of course I do," She said rather defensively. "I'm not that dumb, Grimmjow, I will not be a drop out."

"That's good, a kid like you shouldn't ever drop out, and you're too smart for that." He knew he had praised her and probably stroked her ego but he didn't really care at the moment. "Besides, you need to start thinking about getting a job soon, you're nearly 18!" Alexis glared half-heartedly at him. So the random questioning continued on, with Alexis becoming embarrassed on a few occasions and Grimmjow teasing her for it. Both of them admitted that it felt more like an interrogation than a game to keep boredom at bay. Before they knew it, the time to go and find Ichigo had come, though sooner than either wanted to admit…

* * *

kai crazy: The epic finale of part one is up next! But don't fret, part two will soon follow (in this same one, not a different story)! So keep your eyes open for it! Plz R&R!


	15. Saying Goodbye

kai crazy: Here it is, chapter 15! Damn this was a long ass chapter, my fingers and wrist hurt now T_T. It's a bit sad but you'll love the next chapter, the start of part 2!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, Tite Kubo does.

Claimer: I do own Alexis though.

"..." Normal talking

_'...' _Normal thoughts

_"..."_ Connection thoughts

**"..." **Inner Hollow

* * *

Alexis clung to Grimmjow's back as he sped through Las Noches to where Orihime was being held. The Espada had completely shut her out from his mind, blocking their connection so she could not read his thoughts; he did not want her to know what he was thinking or feeling. It would only overwhelm her. Grimmjow blasted a hole through the wall, stopping Loly and Menoly who were torturing Orihime. Alexis glared at them angrily as the Sexta helped her off his back, his hands stuck in his pockets.

"Grimmjow…!?" The two females were obviously frightened by the Espada's sudden presence in the room.

"How the hell did you get in here?" Loly demanded of the Sexta who regarded her calmly.

"Through the wall of course," He replied in a casual voice. "I would have used the door but it would seem someone blasted it down. And I see you two waltzed right in while Ulquiorra wasn't here," He turned his eyes to Loly and smirked.

"Quit being a smartass!" She sneered at him. Grimmjow smirked again and advanced upon them, Menoly stayed out of his way while Loly stood her ground.

"Beat it!" He smacked her aside. Menoly gave a furious cry and lunged at the Espada, a Cero formed in her palm. The Sexta gave a sadistic smile as he easily blocked the Cero and formed his own, blasting half of Menoly's body away with a powerful Cero. He looked over at Loly who had begun to screech that Aizen-sama would punish him for hurting her and Menoly. He frowned and stalked over, motioning for Alexis to go to Orihime.

"What are you going to do? Back off! No! No!" She cried out as he neared her.

"BOO!!" Loly screamed in terror, her arms covering her head. Alexis couldn't help but snicker at the frightened woman. Loly began threatening the Espada once more, saying he'd be killed for what he'd done to her and Menoly. Grimmjow ignored this and merely stomped on her, causing Alexis to flinch back from her place next to Orihime.

"Why did you do that?" Orihime asked when he walked up to her.

"I'm repaying you for my left arm," He replied. Grimmjow suddenly grasped the front of her uniform and lifted her into the air, glaring at Alexis when she began to protest against his actions. "I've repaid my debt so now I want you to help me with something," He grinned. He set her back down and Alexis averted her eyes from the Sexta when he glanced at her. "Heal those injuries on your face," He grunted. Orihime hesitated, "Now!" She touched her hair clips and looked at the two fallen Arrancar. She rushed over to them; Grimmjow tried to stop her but gave up, knowing she would have gone anyway. While Orihime healed Loly and Menoly, Grimmjow pulled Alexis aside, growling when she flinched back from him.

"I-I'm sorry," She whispered quietly.

"Look, brat, I may not be the nicest guy around but it's time to say good bye," Alexis gave him a startled look. "I am not going to give some big ass speech," He rolled his eyes then. "Just a simple good-bye that's it, alright?" She nodded and was surprised when he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Whatever you do, don't fall asleep near the damn river again; I'd hate to have to return to the Living World to save your ass from drowning again."

"I'll try," She smiled. Grimmjow got her on his back again and chained Orihime's hands together so she couldn't escape on the way to the destroyed tower.

XxXxXx

Grimmjow kicked Ichigo's lifeless body so he rolled onto his back, his dull eyes staring off into the distance.

"Tch, I knew it," He growled. He released Orihime and shuddered when Alexis slid from his back without warning.

Kurosaki-kun…?" She stared into his dull eyes, shocked. Alexis backed away in fear, hitting a piece of debris and falling onto her butt.

"Heal him!" Orihime did so without another word, Nell clinging to her leg as she did so. "Shut up!" Nell flinched and ceased her wailing. "Once he's healed, I can fight him at full strength!"

"Who could have done this?" Orihime asked, struggling to heal the wound. Grimmjow explained that it had been Ulquiorra, he knew from the hole in Ichigo's chest as it was a habit of the Cuatro to stab his opponents in the exact place of his own Hollow hole.

"I'll teach him what happens when you mess with someone else's prey! Now hurry and heal him, it won't be too long before Ulquiorra catches on to this and comes looking for us!" He gasped when said Espada appeared behind him. "Ulquiorra…!"

"What are you doing here?" He questioned both Orihime and Grimmjow. "I am asking you a question now answer it." They were both silent. "Have it your way. Regardless, Aizen-sama entrusted that woman to my care. Now hand her over," The Sexta smirked then.

"Blow me." Alexis put a hand over her mouth to stop herself from giggling.

"What did you say?"

"You heard me!" The two got into a small scuffle with Grimmjow ultimately using his Caja Negacion.

"What was it that you just used up there?" Orihime asked, quite shocked by what had occurred.

"Aizen gave each of his Espada a Caja Negacion to punish our subordinates with. It's basically a transportation device into another dimension and I just used mine on Ulquiorra. Given his reiatsu, I have about two or three hours before he breaks free, it was designed to be used on an Espada. Now finish healing him."

"No, I won't," Alexis looked at her friend, wide eyed. Grimmjow grasped her throat and snarled at Alexis when he heard her get up.

"I wasn't asking, I was telling you to do it!" He snarled at her.

"No, if I heal Kurosaki-kun, you'll just hurt him more!" The Sexta growled and squeezed her throat, giving a shocked gasp when Ichigo placed a hand on his arm, stopping him.

"Let her go," He panted. "Inoue, please heal me," He looked at her when he pushed Grimmjow's arm away. "And then heal him too."

"Bad idea," He snorted. "I don't need your damn pity!"

"I'm not giving you any," Ichigo retorted. "You said you wanted to fight on equal grounds right? So are you saving that injury as an excuse for when you lose?" Grimmjow's eyes widened and he drew Pantera. Ichigo blocked and the Sexta gave a crazed grin.

"Alright! Let's have us a fair fight!" They both pushed away and he sheathed Pantera before walking over to a frightened Alexis. He sighed and sat down in front of her, letting his hand fall heavily on her head. "After this fight is over, you'll be going home… Aren't you happy?"

"I am but… please don't die, Grimmjow," Her bell-like voice was strained from holding back her sobs of fear and sadness. "You are my second Guardian and… I'm glad it was you."

"Look, brat, I can't be your damn Guardian anymore," He sighed. "I'm an Arrancar and you just can't put your trust in me. If I live then I live, if I die… well then you'll just have to choose a different Guardian. If you have to, pick Berry boy over there," He suddenly stood and turned around. It was his turn to be healed. He growled at Ichigo as he passed him and watched as he crouched down in front of Alexis.

"Alexis, I thought you were in the Soul Society!" He pulled her into a tight hug.

"I was captured by Ulquiorra," She whispered, letting tears roll down her cheeks. "But Grimmjow took care of me and… He's letting me go," Ichigo looked back at the Sexta then at Alexis.

"Considering who he is, that's a bit of a shock," He chuckled lightly.

"He's doing what he thinks he should do… as my Guardian"

"I see… When did you…?"

"I'm not entirely sure but it wasn't long ago. My inner Hollow told me when it changed," Ichigo didn't let his obvious shock show on his face. He never knew she had an inner Hollow…

"Oi, Kurosaki, let's get this started already!" Ichigo nodded and spoke with Nell before walking towards Grimmjow.

"Let's take this somewhere else," The Sexta nodded and they both kicked off. Ichigo immediately went into his Bankai and clashed with Grimmjow who laughed excitedly.

"Santen Kesshun: I Reject!" A barrier formed around them to protect Alexis from the clashing reiatsu's. Alexis gasped and clutched at her chest, letting out a chocked cry of pain. The clashing of their powerful reiatsu's was mingling with the weakened barriers around her heart, around the Hougyoku and the effects were beginning to cause her pain.

"Orihime!" Shun'o suddenly appeared from the hair clip. "We have to do something to help your friend," Orihime whirled around and gasped when she saw the older teen collapsed and panting heavily. "Their reiatsu's are mixing with her own on a dangerous level, if it keeps up, she might…" Orihime didn't let her finish.

"But what can I do? Urahara-san isn't here and—OW!" She cried when Tsubaki appeared and began tugging on her hair painfully.

"Quite whining, woman!" He growled. "You aren't helping by sitting around and making excuses!" He let go of her hair and she nodded.

"Soten Kisshun won't work on her," Ayame said as she too appeared. "There is nothing to reject and if we tried to reject what has been done to her heart she would die."

"Exactly, the Hougyoku is a part of her and if it were to be rejected she'd die," Shun'o sighed. "The best thing you can do is create the Santen Kesshun around her body because she is breathing in the spirit particles in the air." Orihime nodded and reformed the barrier to entirely cover her, Nell, and Alexis.

'_Please hurry, Kurosaki-kun, I don't know how much longer Alexis will last in this condition,' _Clutching a hand to her chest she looked out to where the two men were battling.

"Eat this! The strongest Cero that only we Espada can use!" He grinned wildly at Ichigo then. "Gran Rey Cero!" Ichigo gasped and shunpo'd out of the way, receiving a laugh from Grimmjow. "Bad idea, if you dodge then they get hit," Ichigo gasped again when he realized the Espada was correct. He hurried to stop the blast, using Zangetsu to divert it and summoning his Hollow mask to boost his power.

"Keep your Santen Kesshun up for the rest of the fight, okay, Inoue?" He said, his voice distorted. Orihime gave a frightened whimper when he turned his head, his eyes reminded her of her brother Sora when he was the Hollow Acidwire. Ichigo noticed this and sighed. "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you and I'll win this fight," He took off then. Grimmjow pushed him back and raised Pantera as though he were going to perform a sweeping strike. He placed his nails on the blade and it began to glow as he gave a wicked smile.

"Grind, Pantera!" A whirlwind of sand and reiatsu engulfed the Espada. Alexis arched off the ground as his reiatsu hit her hard along with his thoughts and feelings; she felt everything that was happening to him.

"_Grimmjow!?" _She reached out to him to try and stop the pain. The Sexta cursed and Alexis was suddenly shoved out of his mind as he blocked her out. Grimmjow's furious roar only made everyone, including Alexis cringe in fear. She couldn't see him but she could certainly feel his crushing reiatsu, even within the confines of Santen Kesshun she could feel it… And it terrified her. The battle continued to intensify, with Grimmjow slipping with the mental barrier at times and causing harm to Alexis' body.

"You shouldn't be up!" Orihime chided when Alexis pushed herself up.

"I-I'm fine, Orihime," She panted, leaning heavily on a piece of debris, her vision doubling. "Where is my twin? Where is the other Hougyoku?" Orihime gave her a confused look. "It's important that I find it! I need to put a stop to what Aizen has been using it for, otherwise my soul will become corrupt." Alexis attempted to take a step forward but only succeeded in collapsing to her knees. "Aizen showed me once but I've forgotten where the room is and I doubt I'd be able to navigate the halls now that most have crumbled." She looked out towards the battle and gasped when Grimmjow's emotions flooded into her body. "Ichigo…" Her eyes widened and her breathing picked up. "No, don't, please don't…" Her eyes began to water and her breathing became labored gasps. "ICHIGO!?! DON'T KILL HIM!!"

It was too late. Zangetsu was plunged into Grimmjow's chest before her cry reached Ichigo's ears.

"NO! GRIMMJOW?!" Her eyes became blank and she fell forward. Even though he had blocked her out, Grimmjow had been unable to keep the barrier intact upon having his chest impaled and the pain had shot through their connection like a quick moving poison or drug. Ichigo lowered Grimmjow's body to the ground and hurried to Orihime and Nell, cursing when he saw Alexis.

"What happened?" He growled, crouching down next to her.

"I-I don't know," Orihime whispered. "When you struck Grimmjow, she collapsed as though she…" She gasped, not wanting to say what she meant.

"Damn… I didn't think it would happen…. How could they have gotten so close in such a short time…?" He growled to himself.

"_**She's just passed out is all, King,"**_ Hichigo assured him. _**"She'll be fine," **_With that he left. Ichigo quickly helped all three females down to the white sands of Hueco Mundo and gently laid Alexis down, closing her blank eyes.

"This ain't over, Shinigami," They all gasped when the Sexta struggled to his feet, his Resurrección form fading as he did so.

"Give up, Grimmjow," Ichigo sighed.

"The hell I will!" He swung Pantera only to have Ichigo catch it deftly with his bare hand. Just when he was about to try again, another blade came down, catching Grimmjow's shoulder.

"What a fuckin' disgrace," A voice growled. "Bein' beat by a Shinigami? How pathetic," He jerked Santa Teresa, spewing blood everywhere. He was about to strike Grimmjow again when Ichigo blocked him, much to his surprise. "What the…? This is so disgusting, getting your ass saved by some fuckin' weak assed Shinigami."

"Attacking a man when he's down… That's low even for an Arrancar!" Ichigo growled pushing the tall Espada back. A fight ensued between the two with Ichigo being tortured before Nell's eyes. Nell transformed into her true self, revealing that she had been the former Tercera Espada. Just before she could land a final blow on Nnoitra, she reverted to her child form and was about to be killed had it not been for the arrival of a certain fight loving Captain.

"How ridiculous," He snorted. "Get them out of here," Ichigo was stunned but he nodded. He moved Grimmjow's unconscious body to a safe place before gathering all three females and darting away. Once they were safe, Orihime set to work on both Nell and Ichigo, healing what she could with her exhausted power. That was when the Primera Espada, Coyote Starrk appeared, claiming that he was under orders to capture Orihime, though he was reluctant to do so.

"Itsygo, go after her!" Nell begged tearfully. "Bring Alexis with you, Nell will be safe," Ichigo nodded and gathered the teen, protecting himself from her unstable power with his reiatsu.

XxXxXx

Alexis awoke and glanced around, confused. Where was she? She sat up with a groan and realized she was in a tower and was looking up at the dark sky of Hueco Mundo.

"You should rest some more," She looked to her right to see a worried Uryu and Orihime glancing at her.

"No, I'll be fine, I just have to find the Hougyoku," Uryu was uncertain but he nodded and helped her to stand up.

"Be careful, Alexis," She nodded and stumbled away, keeping a hand on the wall to support her body.

**Alexis' P.O.V**

My body felt heavy as I made my way through the palace to Aizen's private quarters. I could feel the Hougyoku's power pulsing through me, trying to give me the strength to continue onwards to my goal. I wouldn't allow Aizen to have his way with my 'twin' any longer. I would make sure the Soul Society won and Karakura Town remained safe… Even if it meant giving up my life for them.

'_I feel so lonely now, just like before,' _I thought as my body continued to move on its own. I still could not believe that Grimmjow was gone. He had only recently become my second Guardian and now… he was dead. He had felt like another part of me, he almost made me whole when I felt like nothing in this world. I had just started to get over my fear of him and was gaining his trust again and now… I'll never be able to tell him. I finally made it to the room I had sought for some time and limped over to where I knew the Hougyoku was. I held out my hand and the pillar rose immediately, revealing the Hougyoku to me. My chest tightened painfully when I took hold of the sphere and the left side of my chest began to glow. I closed my eyes and gasped when my power and my twins' began to mix.

'_It feels so warm,' _I thought with a smile. I opened my eyes and found myself floating in the darkness of my own world. I opened my hands and the Hougyoku began to dart about my body as though it were a tiny spirit wanting my attention. The glow within my own body intensified and I drew it out, letting my own Hougyoku join its twin as it darted about. I laughed and spun around as they continued to circle me, leaving a trail of sparkling light in their wake. I touched the Hougyoku that had been in Aizen's possession and winced, feeling its pain and the darkness it held.

"_**You should cleanse it, Lex," **_A dark, feminine voice whispered.

"_But how?" _I asked as my Hougyoku hovered close by.

"_**By using your Cursed Pure Being powers," **_She told me. _**"By doing so, you'll awaken them both and cleanse the other," **_I nodded and held the pulsating sphere close to my chest. I began to search deep within my soul, breaking past all the weakened kidou until I found my true power which was waiting to be freed. Without any hesitation, I unlocked them for good. I cried out as the power that had been locked away for so long surged through my body, transforming it. I closed my eyes again and smiled as the change took over. I felt something emerge from my back and my hair whipped around me, I could only guess that it had lengthened.

I opened my eyes and looked down at myself, marveling at how my unlocked powers had changed my body. My skin was pale and flawless, though not as pale as Ulquiorra, more of a radiant kind of pale. From my back sprouted beautiful white wings like an angel, though one was a slight silver color from my Hollow powers.

"_**Now is the time my Queen," **_The voice urged. _**"Cleanse the Hougyoku!" **_I clenched the sphere tightly and let my own pure power flow into both Hougyoku's equally. I felt the container shatter and gasped when it was opened to me. Both Hougyoku's glowed brightly as they whirled around me, the darkness being drawn from my twin in the process. There was a sudden burst of power from the two Hougyoku's as they began to awaken in my presence. I tried to contain the explosion of power but they were too powerful for my inexperienced powers to contain. I blacked out…

**Normal P.O.V**

No one was certain how long it was until they found Alexis collapsed in Aizen's private rooms, the Hougyoku clutched in her hand, inactive and the other returned to her chest. With all the Espada dead and Aizen captured by the captains and Vizards in the fake Karakura Town, it was safe to head to the Soul Society and aid in the end of the war. The teen was given to Kuchiki Byakuya to carry as Ichigo was too exhausted and wounded to do so. No one but Orihime noticed the small bundle near a piece of debris. After investigating, she picked it up and left with the others, not telling anyone until they were safe within the walls of the Seireitei…

* * *

kai crazy: Again really long chapter so I hope you liked it! I'll see y'all in chapter 16! R&R plz!


	16. A Face from the Past

kai crazy: Here's the next chapter, yeah it's short but it had to be for certain reasons. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, Tite Kubo does.

Claimer: I do own Alexis.

"..." Normal speech

_'...'_ Normal thoughts

_"..." _Connection thoughts

**"..." **Inner Hollow

**

* * *

**

**5 Years Later**

Murmurs and gasps of suspicion arose from the crowd as they parted to allow the man of current interest to pass. His steel- blue eyes swept over the sea of people slowly, his mouth set in a scowl as he did so. His jeans, however loose they seemed, showed his strong legs and his open shirt revealed a powerful upper body. The man turned into a back alley-way and closed his eyes, tilting his head back and inhaling deeply.

'_Not here but still close,' _He thought opening his eyes. He continued through the alley way, taking a few turns before he arrived in an open area. Once again he tilted his head back and closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. His eyes suddenly shot open and a smirk spread across his face. _'Now I have you,' _With a soft laugh, he began to walk, slowly picking up a faster pace though he restrained himself from running; he wanted to savor this. After all he was tracking down his newest prey…

XxXxXx

The gravel crunched beneath the mans boots as he came to a stop before a familiar shop. The smirk never left his face as he strode forward, pulling the doors open to step inside.

"Now there's a sight for sore eyes," A teasing voice laughed.

"Kisuke Urahara… I could say the same but you ain't the person I'm looking for." He bit out, smiling slightly. His head whipped around when the door to the backroom slid open and he had to blink a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"Kisuke, have you seen…" Her voice failed her. Dual met piercing blue and her heart nearly stopped. "I can't believe its you… Grimmjow…"

**Grimmjow's P.O.V**

Sweet Kami, the brat had grown up these last few years! Her hair had grown longer, to her hips at least, which I might add looked curvy now. She was taller but not by much, I still towered over her. I smirked at the tight jeans and tank top she wore, I missed seeing her in my Arrancar uniform but this was much easier on my eyes. I could tell by looking at her that she had matured quite a bit. I can't explain it, I just know. I could tell by just looking at her that she was no longer the small, frightened child from all those years ago.

**Normal P.O.V**

Urahara watched the two quietly, sipping his tea as he waited for something to happen. Finally, Grimmjow walked up to Alexis and gazed down at her almost happily.

"It's been a long time, brat," He muttered reaching out to touch her hair. The woman stood completely still as the silky strands of her hair slid through his fingers. The Sexta touched her cheek and his head snapped to the side as the palm of her hand connected with the left side of his face. Wide eyed, Grimmjow glanced down at her, his hand cupping his now smarting cheek.

"It's been five years, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, five whole years!" He could see that her body was beginning to tremble in fear and anger. "I thought you were dead! Why didn't you ever contact me?!"

"The way you're yelling at me might make people think you actually care about me." He grinned down at the fuming woman. The Sexta caught her wrist before she could hit him again and frowned. "I thought it might be for the best if I didn't contact you since you seemed content with everyone here."

"You cannot just do that!" She cried letting her wrist become limp in his grasp. "You are one of my Guardians and I thought you'd died and left me alone with Kisuke."

"That hurts, Lex," The said Shinigami feigned hurt.

"I meant no offense," She smiled. "You are so damn selfish, Grimmjow," She easily pulled her wrist free. Urahara continued to watch them bicker, an amused expression on his face. No one heard the back door open, nor did they hear the sound of feet padding over the floor.

"Mommy!" Both Grimmjow and Alexis whipped around.

"What the fuck?!" Who was this child? And why had he called Alexis his mother?!

* * *

kai crazy: OMG! Random child! How will Grimmjow react to finding out who he is? You'll have to find out in chapter 17! Plz R&R!


	17. Why Does He Look Like You

kai crazy: I know, I'm evil right? Well you'll enjoy this chapter, even though Grimm might be a little OOC. Happy Thanksgiving!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, Tite Kubo does.

Claimer: I do however own Alexis and Haru.

"..." Normal talking

_'...' _normal thoughts

_"..." _Connection thoughts

**"..." **Inner Hollow

* * *

Grimmjow angrily looked at Alexis as she rushed towards the little boy who had called to her. He couldn't help but notice that the kid looked a bit like Ichigo and Alexis herself, and that was enough to throw him clear over the edge.

"Who the hell is this?" He growled loudly, gaining Alexis's attention once more.

"If you'd been around these past five years, you would know," Alexis shot back, lifting the child into her arms.

"Mom, who is he?" The boy looked at Grimmjow with wide, curious eyes. "Is he an Arrancar?" The Sexta was a little unnerved by how easily the word slipped from his mouth.

"He is the Sexta Espada, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez," She confirmed. "He is also one of my Guardians," Her voice was sweet but the Sexta knew otherwise. "Why don't you introduce yourself honey?" He nodded and looked towards the Espada.

"My name is Kurosaki Haru," Grimmjow's eyes widened and his lips immediately pulled back into a snarl.

"I don't think that was such a good idea," Kisuke sighed when the front door to the shop slid open. Before the man could even take a step inside, he was pinned to the ground, a hand wrapped threateningly around his throat.

"What the fuck, Kurosaki?!" Grimmjow roared furiously. "I'm gone for five fucking years and I come back to find a kid that looks like you and the brat, with your last name!" Ichigo gripped his wrist and threw him aside, scrambling to his feet to avoid a rather harsh kick.

"It's not what you think!" He snarled, dodging a punch. Though Grimmjow was in a gigai, his hits were still powerful enough to really injure a person. The Sexta was so enraged that the specially made gigai sprouted ears and a tail, earning giggles from Haru and Alexis. "He isn't really my kid!"

"Like I'm really going to believe that shit!" He went to strike the Vizard but was stopped by a small yet strong hand tugging on his tail.

"Dad is right, he adopted me," Haru said, looking up at the intimidating Espada. Grimmjow's head snapped towards Alexis, who nodded to confirm the child's words. Haru released the Sexta and rushed to Ichigo who lifted him up and held him tightly.

"You have some explaining to do, brat," He growled at the silver haired woman. She merely nodded and led everyone inside the shop where Tessai set out some tea. "Now start talking."

XxXxXx

"So lemme get this right, Haru just appeared from some sort of reaction?" Grimmjow pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I myself am not sure of how it happened," Alexis sighed. "But the power from the two Hougyoku's combined with my power generated so much energy that when I tried to contain it, it exploded. The embodiment of that powerful awakening was Haru. So he's either an Arrancar or a Vizard, we aren't sure yet because his powers have not manifested themselves."

"So he's basically a Hougyoku love child?" Alexis glared at him weakly. "The force of the awakening mixed with your containment field or whatever and gained a physical form basically. He's just like you, a Living Hougyoku, though quite different since he was born directly from the Hougyoku's and your power, so he has some of your power as a Cursed Pure Being."

"How do you know that?" Alexis narrowed her eyes.

"His scent… It's the same as yours, just more masculine," This time she smacked his arm.

"I should get home, Karin asked me to help her with something but I know they just want to see Haru since he's staying with me tonight." Said child was currently napping in Urahara's lap. Ichigo lifted him and hugged Alexis before leaving for the night.

"I have a guest room for you if you are planning to stay for a while," Kisuke spoke up earning a nod. Alexis and Grimmjow got up but before the woman could walk away to follow her father she found herself being pulled back by the powerful Espada.

"Let go of me," She whispered, trying and failing to pull herself free.

"Not until we've had a little chat," He bit out, still not satisfied with what he'd been told. "Why does he have Berry boy's last name? He's basically your kid so he should have your last name."

"Ichigo agreed to adopt him because I was unstable after what happened in Hueco Mundo." She told him quietly. "At first, Haru was taken care of by some people in the Seireitei but Ichigo stepped in to care for him when he turned 18. Most of our friends know about him and those who don't believe that Ichigo got Haru from some relationship that didn't work out."

"That makes sense…. I guess," He shrugged it off. Grimmjow lifted one hand to her cheek and saw her flinch in fear. "Five years and you're still afraid of me?"

"It's not easy to forget the fear and pain you engraved in my soul, Grimmjow. What did you expect? I would welcome you back with open arms and brush aside everything that happened?"

"Not really but I thought by now you would get over it." He let his hand rest on her shoulder and gave it a gentle and reassuring squeeze.

"It takes time and your sudden return changes everything," She sighed. "Please, let me go, I-I need to rest," Grimmjow reluctantly obliged and released her. Just as she was about to disappear into another room, he called out to her.

"Oi, brat!" She turned around and gazed at him tiredly. "Happy birthday," Tears sprang to Alexis's eyes and she covered her mouth with a shaking hand. She couldn't believe it, he had remembered her birthday! The woman ran to him, knocking him to the floor when she threw her arms around his neck, tears streaming down her cheeks. "One hell of a surprise, wasn't it?" He smirked wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I hate you so much, Grimmjow!" She sobbed against his chest.

"Keep telling yourself that," He laughed lightly. The Sexta rubbed her back as she continued to sob and say incoherent things that he merely chuckled at. The woman finally exhausted herself and fell asleep against his chest. Carefully shifting her body, Grimmjow stood and brought her to the room he knew was hers. When he emerged he was confronted by both Yoruichi and Urahara.

"I think its time we talked, Grimmjow," Yoruichi whispered as though they were in the presence of a small child. He was led into another room and sat down, curious about what they needed to talk to him about.

"I can't say I'm exactly thrilled to see you again, Grimmjow," Urahara sighed. "She was pretty torn up after your apparent death and she just started getting over it about three years ago."

"I told her she couldn't rely on me," The rest was muttered under his breath.

"Your sudden return will cause complications," Yoruichi picked up after Urahara.

"What are you talking about?" He raised an eyebrow at the dark female.

"Alexis is now 22 and she just got out of college so she's starting a life on her own soon. Plus there is Haru to think about."

"I don't see what the big deal is," He snorted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You really are dense, you know that?" Yoruichi gave a frustrated sigh. "Kisuke, you talk to him."

"Kurosaki Ichigo is currently Haru's father figure and Alexis is his mother. Haru knows just about everyone in town and in Soul Society; no one has ever spoken of the Winter War around him since it is not something he needs to know. The only piece of information we ever told him that related to the War was the circumstances of his birth. With your return, it could prove troublesome as destruction seems to follow whenever a member of the Espada turns up out of the blue."

"Whatever," Grimmjow brushed it off. "Look, I spent the last five years helping with the reconstruction of Las Noches. I kept debating with myself whether I should come back here and continue protecting the brat or not. It kept eating away at me you know… the loneliness she felt when I died. That day the two Hougyoku's awakened, their power swept through all the worlds, reviving those who had fallen during the war, including those of the Espada."

"Your connection should have been destroyed," Urahara narrowed his eyes at the Espada.

"It was but I didn't want to tell that to her." He snapped his own blue eyes narrowing.

"Then how did you…" The shinigami's eyes widened. "No, it's impossible, there's no way it could have happened!"

"What are you muttering about now?" He drawled.

"I didn't think it was possible but the connection between you two was so deep and powerful that even after death, a faint part of it remained. What could have caused it...?"

"Look back in Hueco Mundo, I got really pissed at her and hurt her… More than I had intended. She lost a lot of blood from the injury. I panicked and I guess I slipped inside her body, I held her soul so she couldn't fade away."

"It seems I underestimated your connection to her," Urahara mused.

"But it doesn't change the fact that you hurt her, Grimmjow," Yoruichi glared at him. If looks could kill the Sexta would have been a pile of ashes.

"Yeah, I know I did but it was for her own good!" He growled uncrossing his arms and clenching his hands on the table. A low hiss escaped his lips when Urahara unexpectedly drew Benihime, pressing the tip of it to the Espada's exposed throat. The Sexta met the shinigami's gaze and his eyes widened at the malice he saw in their depths.

"I warned you not to hurt her, Grimmjow," He said, his voice dangerously low. The Espada suddenly remembered the conversation they'd had five years ago and swore loudly.

"Shit, I didn't think…!"

"That's right, you didn't think, Grimmjow," Urahara sheathed Benihime then. "You have no idea how much emotional suffering she went through these past few years because of your selfish act of wanting a rematch with Ichigo."

"I'll make it up to her," He whispered, surprising the pair. "I owe her that much and I'll start tomorrow,"

"Then here's a friendly suggestion, Grimmjow," Yoruichi's eyes twinkled with mischief. "Take her somewhere nice for dinner tomorrow, as a late birthday gift." She winked and left the room.

"Don't look at me, that woman has a mind that I will never understand," Urahara chuckled as he got up and led Grimmjow to the spare room. "Don't make the same mistake twice, otherwise you'll have much more than that scratch on your throat to worry about." The Sexta nodded and was left alone to settle in for the night.

* * *

kai crazy: Alright, what did you think? Funny right? Anyway, see y'all in chapter 18, which includes a waltz o.O R&R and Happy Thanksgiving... Again!


	18. Lie To Me

kai crazy: My apologies, the waltz chapter is next, I was getting ahead of myself. Anway.... Another update! Enjoy it! And enjoy your yummy turkey!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, Tite Kubo does.

Claimer: I do own Alexis and Haru.

"..." normal conversation

_'...' _normal thoughts

_"..." _connection thoughts

**"..." **inner hollow

* * *

Grimmjow was up bright and early the next morning, bathing and dressing before anyone else awoke. He made some tea before sitting down and thinking about where he would take Alexis.

"Kisuke, is that you…?" The Sexta turned around to see a wide eyed Alexis. "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were Kisuke, he's usually up around this time."

"Well sorry to disappoint you then," He yawned turning back around. "Go get dressed, we have to talk."

"Why do I have to get dressed? This is perfectly fine!"

"Brat, I said go get dressed," He heard her breath hitch and mentally cursed himself. Alexis left and returned in a short amount of time, sporting another pair of hip hugging jeans and a tight fitting pale blue t-shirt.

"What's so important that I had to get dressed at this hour?"

"I talked with Urahara and that woman last night and I realized I have some things to make up for; not just lost time either." Alexis was surprised by the softness of his usually hard and frightening voice. "I made the decision to start doing just that today. Now let's go before I start rethinking this shit," He grabbed her wrist and pulled her up when he stood.

"Grimmjow, wait! It's still early, nothing is open yet!"

"I don't fucking give a care," He growled, slipping his boots on and forcing Alexis to put her own shoes on. "It at least gives me time to familiarize myself with the town a bit." Still gripping her wrist, Grimmjow set a note on the table and walked out of the shop, ignoring Alexis' protests.

XxXxXx

Alexis huffed as she walked alongside Grimmjow, her arms crossed over her chest.

"You're awfully quiet," He said startling the woman. "Then again, you were always pretty quiet," He shifted his eyes to look down at her. "I can tell there is something on your mind. Do you wanna tell me?"

"Why did you come back here, Grimmjow?" Alexis stopped walking and held her head high as the Sexta turned to face her. "And don't you dare tell me it's to make up for what happened five years ago!"

"Why can't you accept that I'm at least trying to make up for it all? I didn't come here just to say happy birthday and leave, brat!" The Sexta sneered removing his hands from his pockets.

"Why should I believe anything you tell me anymore, Grimmjow?!" She shouted startling the Espada with the outburst. "I suffered for five years because you just _had _to have your rematch with Ichigo! I really thought you were dead, I felt so empty when it happened and when I awoke… I wanted to die!" Alexis covered her face with her hands and began to cry again. "Nothing you do can ever make up for that!" The woman felt Grimmjow's arms wrap around her and tried to pull away, but he was much stronger.

"What good am I as your baby sitter if I don't at least try?" He whispered holding her to him. Alexis gasped at his words and began to cry even more.

"Let me go!" She sobbed, beating at his chest weakly. "I hate you, Grimmjow; you're always lying to me! Why can't you ever tell me the truth?!"

"I _am _telling the truth, brat!" He growled down at her. "What do you want me to do? Lie and say I came here to mess with your head and then leave? I won't lie to you, brat, I came here to continue protecting you as your Guardian and I will do just that!" Alexis looked up at him with wide eyes. Her body was trembling in his powerful embrace, tears staining her flesh as she slowly shook her head.

"No, no, you're lying again!" She beat at his chest, crying like a frightened child. Grimmjow framed her face with his hands and forced her to look at him.

"Look into my eyes and see if I'm telling the truth, because I am." The woman struggled, trying to get away but his blue eyes held her captive. Her breathing slowed to match the Sexta's, her muscles relaxed and her heart began to beat in time with his. Her dual colored eyes frantically searched his own, widening when she found what she was looking for.

"Everything you've said… It's all true…" Her eyes began to water again.

"Stop with the crying already, you're killing me here," He joked lightly. He let her go and groaned when she threw her arms around him. "Easy, this stupid fucking gigai is new and you are a bit stronger than I would like to admit." He rubbed a hand over his chest where she had hit him repeatedly. Alexis whispered that she was sorry and continued to cling to him like she used to do as a teenager. "You are such a cry-baby," He chuckled. "Just like you used to be, you haven't changed a bit."

"And you are still a jerk," She muttered hoarsely. Grimmjow smirked and looked out at the horizon.

"The sun is coming up," He whispered into her hair. He loosened his hold to allow her to turn around and pulled her flush against his body. The Sexta rested his chin upon her head, closing his eyes as her familiar scent filled his senses. There was a sudden flash to their right that startled them and caused Alexis to pull away. "Show yourself!" There was a small laugh and a certain busty Shinigami appeared.

"Rangiku-san?" Alexis blinked and was suddenly being suffocated in the woman's chest.

"Oh, you two are so adorable together!" She gushed, releasing the now traumatized female. "But you need to learn how to treat a woman," She wagged a finger at Grimmjow. "It's been five years, you've barely been here a day and already you've made her cry her eyes out." Alexis laughed as the squad ten fukutaicho continued to scold the Espada who seemed terrified by said woman and her endless ranting. "Alexis hun, if he makes you cry again just tell me and I'll take care of him," She winked and disappeared.

"What the hell was that about?" Grimmjow breathed, his eye twitching.

"Rangiku does that sometimes but I'll never understand why." The silver haired woman wiped her eyes dry and smiled her hands behind her back. "Well, you said today was the first make up day, so let's go already!" Grimmjow grinned and wrapped a rather possessive arm around her waist as they walked into town.

* * *

kai crazy: They have some issues to sort out, ne? Anway, sorry it's kinda short, chapter 19 will be longer I believe. R&R


	19. Dance With Me

kai crazy: It's the fun-ish chapter! You'll like this one I believe, especially since it has to do with dancing a bit. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, Tite Kubo does.

Claimer: I claim Alexis and Haru.

"..." normal conversation

_'...'_ normal thoughts

_"..." _connection thoughts

**"..."** inner Hollow

* * *

Alexis squirmed in Grimmjow's grasp. She had been put over his shoulder as an apparent punishment for refusing to allow him to keep his arm around her waist. She tried to ignore the curious looks she was given as they passed; almost everyone in town knew her and most likely thought it strange for her to be with the new person in town. Especially in this manner!

"Grimmjow, put me down you jerk," She whined smacking his shoulder.

"The more you struggle and whine, the longer I'm gonna hold you like this." He responded lazily, his eyes searching the various shops. His eyes found Yoruichi, who was standing outside a dress shop and groaned inwardly. Did she seriously expect him to go in there? He quickly made his way over and set Alexis on the ground only to have her elbow him in the gut and stick her tongue out childishly.

"What a coincidence," Yoruichi laughed, though the Sexta knew it was a set up. "Grimmjow, why don't I take her off your hands for a bit? Kisuke is looking for you over there; he said something about buying some new clothes for you while you are here." The Espada glared warily at the woman before stalking off.

"I heard you got quite the tongue lashing from Matsumoto Rangiku earlier," The Sexta resisted the urge to flip the man off. "Come with me, you need some new clothes for tonight and for while you are here," Grimmjow gulped, somehow knowing he was about to endure hell.

XxXxXx

Kisuke finished making his final purchase for Grimmjow and sent the Sexta on his way. The Shinigami was going to hang onto the items until later that day when Grimmjow and Alexis returned to the shop. The Sexta found Alexis outside the dress shop, looking rather flustered about something. The Espada grinned and scooped her up, throwing her over his shoulder once more.

"Grimmjow?!" The woman squeaked out, grasping his shoulder. "Put me down!"

"No can do," He drawled. "Your punishment isn't over yet," Alexis huffed and smacked his shoulder hard enough to earn a hiss. "Okay, brat, your punishment just got extended," The woman huffed again and relaxed against the Espada as he began walking through town. It wasn't long before she realized they were leaving town and became confused.

"Where are we going now?" She asked quietly.

"You'll see when we get there," He growled to her. Alexis rolled her eyes and slid them shut to rest a little. "I know you are there, Hollow," Grimmjow spat out lowly.

"Nothing gets past you does it? But, it's been awhile, El Sexta Espada," That dark feminine voice laughed. "I knew you'd return eventually."

"My return has nothing to do with our last conversation, woman."

"Think as you may but I know better," She giggled. "Don't hurt her again, Grimmjow, otherwise, I'll be back…" The Sexta sighed and stopped walking just as Alexis woke up.

"Why are we at the river?" She asked, taking in their surroundings.

"Taking a trip down memory lane," He murmured. "This is where it all began… Our first encounter five years ago was here, except it was raining like hell and you fell into the river like an idiot." As he spoke, he set the woman down and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Do you regret saving me?" Alexis stared out at the river, not looking up at the Espada.

"Saving your ass that day caused a lot of trouble for me but I didn't think it would because at the time I didn't know who or what you were. Saving you brought a lot of excitement into my life as well, especially back in Hueco Mundo. So no, I don't regret saving you that day," Grimmjow looked out at the river as well. "I didn't get to ask this before but… When did you learn to control your power?"

"About a year and a half after the War," She replied unconsciously touching her chest. "After I released all that built up power, my own and the Hougyoku's, I found it easier to control everything. I no longer affect people unwillingly," She smiled weakly. "We should get back before the others come looking for us, I doubt you want Rangiku taking more pictures."

"That woman is fucking insane," He snorted. "C'mon, let's go," He held his hand out. Alexis took a step forward and slipped. "Oh, hell now!" The Sexta lunged forward and pulled her close to his body so as to take the brunt of the impact to the ground. "Jeez, you really haven't changed, have you?" He groaned, looking up at the flustered woman.

"Shut up! Unlike you, I'm not a freaking cat," She teased him. An annoyed vein appeared on his forehead and he pinched her arm, earning a yelp. "That was uncalled for!" She whined looking at the reddened flesh.

"I warned you not to call me that," He smirked. The Espada finally got up, cradling Alexis in his arms and hurried back to Urahara Shoten.

XxXxXx

"Hope you don't mind but I made reservations for you guys and the others," Urahara said before they could even take their shoes off. "Now, hurry and go get dressed," Alexis was pulled away by Yoruichi, who was grinning wildly. Grimmjow was also led away by Kisuke who had this weird expression on his face. He helped the Arrancar dress before he himself got dressed. The two men waited for Alexis and Yoruichi patiently, looking up only when the dark skinned female announced that they were ready. Grimmjow felt his jaw drop when he laid eyes on Alexis.

"What do you think?" Yoruichi asked, grinning at the mans expression. She'd gotten Alexis a beautiful silver gown that cris-crossed in the back, leaving most of it open and bare; the shoulder straps were thin and extended into this design. The front dipped down to emphasize and outline her breasts. The whole dress fit her tightly, hugging every curve in such a way that it would drive any man wild. The dress had a slit down the right side, starting at mid-thigh, so that every time she moved, a portion of her shapely leg was exposed. "Hey, Grimmjow, you're drooling," The Sexta snapped out of his daze and closed his mouth, scowling at the saliva that had trickled from his mouth before wiping it away. "It must be different seeing her dressed this way."

'_You have no idea,' _He thought, his steel-blue eyes racking over Alexis's body, causing her to blush furiously. She did not want him to see her dressed this way, it was embarrassing…. Especially when he had that possessive glint in his eyes.

"Let's not waste anymore time," Urahara urged. "The others are waiting on us!" The man hooked his arm with on of Alexis's. Yoruichi looped her arm though Grimmjow's and the group set out, using shunpo or sonido to avoid having the two ladies injure themselves walking the distance. It wasn't very far anyway so a car hadn't been necessary.

XxXxXx

Alexis shifted uneasily in her seat next to Grimmjow. They had met up with Ichigo and the others for dinner where they were celebrating her birthday. Ichigo had assured her that Haru was with his family and was fine.

"Alexis, you look so amazing!" Orihime and Rukia gushed, after seeing her dress. Everyone already knew about Grimmjow and they were pleased to say the least, especially Rangiku who had followed the group with her captain. The band on-stage began to play a slow waltz and Urahara got this look on his face.

"I think the birthday girl should have the first dance," He announced catching Grimmjow's attention. Everyone at the table looked at the Sexta at the same time, startling him slightly. With a sigh, he pushed his chair back and stood, rolling his eyes when Yoruichi winked.

"Could I have this dance?" Alexis whipped her head around, astonished by his words. Grimmjow offered his hand and Alexis placed hers on top of his hesitantly. In a split second, the Espada had her on her feet, pressed flush against his body. He led her out into the middle of the dance floor and soon they were both waltzing in time with those around them, letting the music flow through their bodies. Alexis was breathless as they danced, her heart pounding in her chest. "You okay, brat?" He murmured in her ear.

"Yeah, I-I'm fine," She whispered back.

**Alexis's P.O.V**

I had almost forgotten how strong and experienced Grimmjow was but being this close to him brought those memories back. I could feel the muscles rippling through his body as we continued to dance; I could feel his intense blue eyes on me, never wandering. I could barely keep my breath steady, nor could I keep my heart from beating wildly in my chest. He may have been in his gigai but that didn't sooth my fear of what lay beneath and how powerful he truly was without it. I feared him and yet… I felt safe whenever he was close; I did not understand it. How could I fear a person so much and yet feel so safe near them? I gasped when Grimmjow easily lifted me off the ground and set me down, replacing his hand on my waist and in my own.

'_He can be quite gentle when he really wants to be,'_ I thought with a soft smile. I thought about it again and giggled softly, thinking it odd for the Sexta Espada to act gentle. I shivered slightly from the cold air against my back and gasped when Grimmjow switched his hands, pressing the other against my waist firmly. His hand was really hot and seared through the silk of my dress, causing goose flesh to erupt over my arms and body. I was beginning to feel dizzy and I was pretty sure Grimmjow had noticed, especially from the way he pulled me closer and growled softly to me. I didn't want tonight to end but things never go the way I want them to anymore… they never have.

**Normal P.O.V**

The song ended and everyone clapped, the loudest table being Alexis and Grimmjow's. Grimmjow held the woman close as they made their way off the dance floor and suddenly froze his eyes wide. Matsumoto stopped snapping photos and Alexis bit her lip when she noticed the protective and defensive stances of everyone at her table. The Hollow they sensed disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, signaling that someone had taken care of it. Alexis looked up at the Sexta who shrugged and made their way back to the table.

"You two stood out when you danced," Yoruichi commented. "You were so beautiful out there, the other couples were jealous." Alexis blushed while Grimmjow snorted, disregarding the comment. The night wore on with more dancing, some drinking and cake, as well as embarrassing singing on Urahara's part. As the group began walking back, everyone was on high alert. A strong Hollow had been reported in the area and it had yet to be taken care of. Grimmjow kept Alexis close to him as they walked, though she was pulled away by Yoruichi and the other women who muttered something about him being a typical male. Ichigo had come up beside him then, slowing down so they could talk in the back of the group.

"Alexis is really enjoying herself tonight," The man smiled. "I haven't seen her this happy in a long time, it's nice to have the old Alexis back." Grimmjow gave him a questioning look. "Right, I forgot that you don't know about how she was before the War and all. She was a really bright girl, always happy and playful. She was always smiling and laughing, always the first to try something new."

"Sounds like she was the life of any party," The Sexta chuckled. "I kinda wish I knew that part of the brat."

"Why don't you ever call her by her name?"

"Because she _is _a brat," Ichigo raised an eyebrow at him. "She was what, 17 when I met her? And I'm…. I've probably lived twenty or more of her lifetimes, so to me she is a brat because of her age."

"Now I understand," He laughed. "It's an age thing. But to everyone here, you don't look as old as one might think; I'd place you around the age of twenty-five or so." He and Grimmjow laughed at this. "She means a lot to us, Grimmjow, we'd hate to see her get hurt again, although she has forgiven me for pretty much killing you; I haven't told her it was Nnoitra who landed the last blow."

"Thanks, I guess," The Sexta looked towards the women of their group. His eyes softened and suddenly widened when the Hollow's reiatsu fell over them.

"Get out of the way!" Ichigo shouted to the group. Everyone jumped back just as the Hollow appeared. The Shinigami of the group left their gigai's and began attacking, only to find that the Hollow was stronger than they first thought. Uryu held Alexis back from the fight, though she struggled to get free, she hated feeling helpless.

"Alexis, get back here!" The Quincy shouted when the woman pulled free.

"I want to fight, Uryu! I don't need to be protected anymore, I can control my power, remember?!" She held her hand out, smiling when Ryuhime materialized in her open palm. "Now, descend upon the land and bring them to their knees! Ryuhime!" The burst of reiatsu distracted everyone from the battle, including the Hollow. Grimmjow whipped around and snarled loudly; annoyed that Alexis had joined the fight. His eyes however, were drawn to Ryuhime, her zanpaku-tō. As the name suggested, the blade was fit for a dragon warrior princess, with a guard shaped like a dragon's claw. He'd never seen Ryuhime in its shikai form and he wondered faintly if she knew Bankai.

"Get outta here, brat!" He snarled when she appeared beside him. Alexis ignored him and lunged at the large Hollow with Ichigo, Renji, Hitsugaya, Rangiku and Rukia. Grimmjow followed suit, keeping an eye on the silver haired woman as she fought alongside her friends. He was amazed by how much her skills had improved over the last five years; he remembered when she hadn't even known how to hold a sword to begin with! He was pulled from his thoughts when the Hollow swiped it large claw through the air. "Get out of the way!!" Alexis, unable to use sonido or shunpo, was caught by the strike. The Sexta moved to catch her but Urahara got to her first.

"I'm fine," She grunted holding her arm. Grasping Ryuhime in her injured hand, the woman held her good one out, drawing upon her Hollow powers. She fired a Cero at the Hollow's face, blinding it and allowing the others to finish it off. Grimmjow immediately returned to his gigai and stalked up to Alexis, who shrank back from him when he grabbed her wrist.

"What the fuck are you trying to pull, brat?" He growled, examining the gashes on her arm.

"I was trying to help," She whispered as Ryuhime returned to its sealed state and faded away.

"Look where it got you!" He looked around the group then. "Who here has any medical supplies?" Uryu raised his hand but everyone looked at Orihime. "She can't heal her, it wouldn't work right because of her heart," Everyone then looked away, realizing he was right. Uryu helped to clean and bandage the woman's arm.

"I'll bring Haru to you tomorrow," Ichigo told Alexis. "Tonight seems too risky for me to bring him to the shop."

"I agree, that two attacks in one night," She sighed. "Goodnight everyone," They all said good-bye and went their separate ways. Grimmjow roughly pulled the woman into his arms and followed the other two Shinigami back to the shop, a scowl etched onto his face. They would be having another chat later…

* * *

kai crazy: I hope you liked it! Next chapter is kinda cute, at least I think so. See ya next time! Plz R&R


	20. Rainy Day

kai crazy: I hope you like this one, it's a bit random especially with who shows up near the middle. Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, Tite Kubo does.

Claimer: I claim Alexis and Haru.

"..." normal speech

_'...' _normal thoughts

_"..."_ Connection thoughts

**"..." **inner Hollow

* * *

When they returned, Alexis was released and hurried to her room to change. Urahara and Yoruichi glanced at each other and sighed before leaving to their rooms. Grimmjow was the first to change into his new clothes, sitting in the family room to wait for Alexis.

"You really are a typical male," The woman muttered, leaning against the door frame. "I can fight just fine without your help."

"Oh, well then _excuse me,_" He growled sarcastically. "I'm your Guardian, I'm bound to protect you remember? And if you can fight so well on your own, how'd you manage to get hurt?"

"Because I can't use shunpo or sonido," She hissed. "I'm still working on it though."

"Don't fight until you can use one or the other," The woman's eyes widened.

"You can't tell me to do that!"

"No, but I bet Urahara would agree with me," He heard her suck in a sharp breath. "And you know damn well that I could persuade him to say so."

"You are such a jerk," She muttered turning to leave. Grimmjow wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back against his chest, not allowing her to leave just yet. "Don't touch me," She bit out.

"The night ain't over yet, brat," He whispered close to her ear. "How 'bout one last dance?" The woman sighed and muttered a reluctant 'okay'. With Grimmjow's help, she moved some things around and got the speakers to hook her iPod up to. The Sexta snatched the iPod from her and clicked on a random song, smirking when he saw Alexis' face pale.

"Out of all my songs, you picked this one?" She groaned, trying to back away. It was Love Game by Lady Gaga. The Espada pulled her to him and kept her pressed against his body as the song began to pick up. Alexis soon grew annoyed and showed the Espada back before crooking a finger at him, mouthing the words to the song.

"Heh, I never would have thought you were such a tease, brat," He grunted as she ground back against him.

"I'm just dancing to the music is all," She smirked up at him, startling the Sexta. Soon, he too began to dance to the music, resulting in Alexis going beat red at his actions. Grimmjow let her wrap her arms around his neck and bent his head, burying his face in her neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist; pressing her backside firmly against his lower regions. As the song began to end, Grimmjow took a step towards the woman, who had stepped away, causing her to lose her footing and fall but not before dragging the Sexta down on top of her. "Get up, you're hurting my arm!" She gasped, feeling the slowly healing flesh begin to split open again. The Sexta pushed himself away and helped her sit up, his eyes locked on the red stain that was spreading through the white bandages. The Espada quickly rewrapped it and sat back with a sigh. "I guess this makes up for your attitude," She laughed. "Thank you, Grimmjow, for today. I had fun and I hope the next few days are the same; not including the Hollow attacks of course." She smiled brightly at him.

"I like the less talkative side of you," He teased watching her face become a faint pink color. "What are you going to tell your kid tomorrow? He obviously knows a bit for his age but does he even know you help fight the Hollows?"

"No, he does not but I think he's catching on," She let out a slow breath. "I'll come up with something in the morning; I'm too tired right now." The woman pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

"Go get some rest, no doubt Urahara has something planned out for tomorrow." Grimmjow watched her gather her things and disappear into her room for the night. Once he was sure everyone in the shop was asleep, the Sexta pulled his shoes on and walked down to the local park, where he sat on a wooden bench. Resting both arms on the back, Grimmjow tilted his head and looked up at the full moon, vaguely wondering what was happening back in Hueco Mundo.

"Alexis Trinity is a strange woman," The Sexta's blue eyes shifted to the left. There stood Ulquiorra Schiffer, his uncaring green eyes fixed on his fellow Espada.

"What the fuck do you want, Ulquiorra?" He growled at the Cuatro. No one aside from the Espada and Soul Society knew how they had been revived, and the information was classified so no one was allowed to speak of it in the prison areas. Though how Ulquiorra had been revived was a complete mystery to everyone, including the Cuatro himself. "Have you come to drag me back to Hueco Mundo?"

"Whether you choose to remain here or not is your decision, you are free to do as you please." He replied, much to Grimmjow's surprise. "I merely came to see what sort of idiotic nonsense you had gotten yourself involved in. I have noticed you spend quite a bit of time around the Cursed Being woman. What is she to you?"

"What she is to me is none of your concern, Ulquiorra!" He hissed, sitting straight on the bench.

"It was a simple question, trash, can you try to act civilized for once? Either answer the question or avoid it, either way I know there is something else between you two."

"I'm just here to complete a promise, if that's what you want to call it." Ulquiorra was silent for a long few moments.

"I can tell your words are true," He finally said. "Then I am to assume you are merely a guardian of sorts?" The Sexta nodded his expression hard. "Then I shall ask no further questions. Do not do anything foolish while you are here, Sexta, we do not need any trouble from the Soul Society." With that, he left. Grimmjow hurried back to the shop, unnerved by the Cuatro's sudden appearance. Perhaps Urahara had been right… whenever a member of the Espada showed up, trouble and destruction soon followed.

XxXxXx

Alexis cursed when she tried to move her injured arm; it hurt like hell and was still healing despite the natural healing abilities of her lineage.

"Mom!" She looked up and smiled when Haru ran up to her. "Dad said you had fun last night without me," The child pouted cutely.

"Kisuke took us all out to dinner and forced Grimmjow to dance with me," She laughed softly. Ichigo walked into the room then and pulled Alexis into a hug. "Thanks for keeping him for the last two nights; I hope he wasn't too much trouble."

"He wasn't a bother at all," He chuckled. "Yuzu and Karin had fun spoiling him along with my father." He touched her bandaged arm and glanced down at Haru quickly. The child looked up and his eyes widened when he finally noticed the blood stained bandages.

"What happened to your arm, Mom?" He asked, looking up at her worriedly.

"This is nothing," She brushed it off. "I just…" She tailed off and blinked, unable to think of an excuse.

"She got a little tipsy and hit a really sharp object," Alexis looked up at Grimmjow in surprise.

"Mom drank too much?" Haru giggled, wrapping his arms around the woman's neck as she lifted him.

"Yeah, she can't hold her liquor too well," Alexis glared at him and kicked his shin harshly. Ichigo laughed at this, catching their attention. "What's so funny, Berry boy?"

"Would you quit calling me that!?" He growled getting in the Sexta's face.

"Hey, knock it off you two!" Alexis stepped between them. "Haru doesn't need to see or hear you guys fighting," Unbeknownst to the group, Urahara was watching them from behind the door in the next room. He chuckled as he listened to him bicker, catching Yoruichi's attention.

"What is it, Kisuke?" She asked a light smile on her face.

"Take a look for yourself," The woman rolled her eyes but looked anyway.

"Well I'll be," She laughed lightly.

"They look like a family, a slightly dysfunctional one, but a family none the less." A look of longing filled his eyes. "It's been a long time since I've seen her this happy."

"Indeed it has been, Kisuke," Yoruichi agreed with a smile. "She hasn't been this happy since she was a little girl; it's good to see this side of her again."

"My little girl is all grown up!" The blonde shinigami sounded a bit like Isshin, which in itself was a scary thought. "They don't realize it but by returning here to protect Alexis, Grimmjow has completed this odd little family."

"I think our resident Espada has a thing for our little Alexis," Yoruichi smirked, causing a huge smile to spread across the man's face. "He won't admit it though, he's too damn stubborn and his pride get's in the way too."

"He'll admit it when he's ready," Kisuke chuckled. "Though I'm sure he'll come up with some sort of excuse as to why it's wrong."

"Like the fact that he's her Guardian, right?" He nodded, snapping his fan open. "Knowing him, he won't care about that little detail after a while."

"We'll just have to wait and see," He smiled closing the door quietly.

XxXxXx

Alexis smiled as she watched Haru run about the play ground with Ichigo chasing after him. It was strange how the boy resembled her friend, when he wasn't even nearby at the time of his 'birth'. She supposed her thoughts had influenced the child's traits, as she had been worrying about Ichigo when it happened, as she had no reason to worry about Grimmjow any longer.

'_He should have looked like Grimmjow,'_ She thought sadly. Had her thoughts been focused on the Sexta, Haru would have had physical traits similar to him but perhaps it was for the best that he did not. She was pulled from her memories when a strong arm wound itself around her waist and spiky hair tickled her cheek. "You shouldn't sneak up on me like that, Grimmjow," She breathed when he jumped back. She had nearly hit him with her elbow in surprise.

"Heh, your reflexes have gotten pretty fast," He commented in an amused voice. Before he could speak again, Haru darted up and hid behind his legs with a small giggle. The Sexta was stunned, he didn't know what to do since his first thought was to whip around and growl at him, though he risked being punched by Alexis if he did.

"Uncle Grimmjow, come play with me!" Haru begged, tugging on the hem of his shirt. The Espada looked at the silver haired woman who nodded and smiled at the pair. Ichigo trotted over and placed his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

"Haru barely knows him and yet he's completely at ease around Grimmjow," Alexis mused, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You have to remember he was created from the two Hougyoku's, thus in some deep part of his brain he knows every Arrancar created." Ichigo pointed out as he straightened up. The orange haired man wrapped an arm around her waist and smiled as they watched Grimmjow and Haru interact. "Oi, Grimmjow, Haru, it's time to go!" Ichigo called when he noticed the darkening sky above them. The two hurriedly ran over with Alexis scooping her son into her arms. The small group hurried back to Urahara Shoten and got inside just as the rain began to fall.

"Looks like you're stuck here with us, Ichigo," Alexis laughed setting Haru on his feet.

"That's fine by me," He shrugged. "I've been meaning to head to the Underground Training room anyway," Alexis saw the glint in Grimmjow's eyes at this.

"Haru, go find Kisuke and Yoruichi, I'm going with them," She told him firmly. The child knew of the room but he never questioned his mother when she went there. Once he was gone, the three adults quickly headed down into the underground room. "I would like to use my true power but I'd rather not attract any Hollows to this area," Grimmjow frowned; he had wanted to see her true form. Ichigo had Kon take over his body and rolled his shoulders as the perverted Mod Soul went back upstairs. Grimmjow separated from his gigai and ordered it to head upstairs as well; he didn't trust Urahara to make him a new one.

"This'll be good," Grimmjow grinned sadistically. It had been quite some time since he'd had a good fight with anyone, including Ulquiorra. Without any warning, they jumped into the air and began to fight, with Alexis summoning Ryuhime before they could even blink. The Sexta went after Ichigo who blocked and lunged at Alexis, cursing when the Espada rammed him into a large boulder with a rather loud snarl. The woman took this chance to fire a weak cero at the two men, only to have it deflected by Grimmjow. Both men looked at each other and either shunpo'd or sonido'd out of her sight.

"I'm hurt," She laughed, dodging their strikes. "Tag-teaming on a defenseless girl? How cruel of you," She pouted mockingly. Alexis struck out at them fiercely, almost as though she were a different person. The fight continued with none of the adults wanting to give up. "Stop! Grimmjow let me up!" Alexis gasped after the Sexta had pinned her down with Zangetsu poised at his throat and his own zanpaku-tō pointed at Ichigo. The Espada could see the distress on her face and quickly let her up, sheathing Pantera as he did so.

"You okay, Lex?" Ichigo questioned as he helped her to stand.

"I-I expanded too much energy is all," She muttered holding a hand to her head. The orange haired male helped her to sit down near a large rock and headed upstairs to retrieve his body with Grimmjow following suit. Alexis closed her eyes for a few moments and when she opened them again, she found herself being carried by Grimmjow.

"Next time give us a damn warning when your power gets expanded too much," He growled down at her. The woman merely nodded and rested her head against his bare chest, too weak and tired to respond.

"Is Mom going to be okay?" Haru asked worriedly when Grimmjow left Alexis' room.

"She'll be fine, kid," He grunted. "She's just tired," The boy nodded and climbed back into Ichigo's lap to sleep. "Five years and she's still stubborn as hell when it comes to admitting things like that."

"She must have gotten it from you," Ichigo snickered. "It's her nature as a Cursed Pure Being, they are known to be stubborn fighters as well as fierce."

"She's changed since I last saw her you know, personality wise anyway," Ichigo watched the Sexta carefully as his expression softened. "She was annoyingly quiet, unlike Inoue who never shut up," He smirked at that. "She was only as bold as she was forced to be but now she'll openly throw insults and boldly talk back to me. Back in Hueco Mundo I tried pushing her to do that but it only scared her even more. She's still a cry-baby, I don't think that will ever change for her and if it did, then it wouldn't be the same brat I knew."

"Let me ask you something, Grimmjow," The Espada blinked at the strawberry male who had interrupted him. "Do you like Alexis in any way?" The Sexta's jaw fell and his eyes widened. Ichigo had just asked the most inevitable question in the world and he had no idea how to answer it. There was no way to get past it like he had with Ulquiorra….

* * *

kai crazy: Like I said, a bit random and seriously, Grimmjow just can't get a break can he? Anyway see y'all in chapter 21! Plz R&R!


	21. Confessions and Pain

kai crazy: I should have put a warning about this chapter at the end of chapter 20, sorry. But I'm warning you now, you are probably going to want to kill me after the end of this chapter....

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, Tite Kubo does.

Claimer: I claim Alexis and Haru.

"..." Normal conversation

_'...' _Normal thoughts

_"..."_ Connection thoughts

**"..."** Inner Hollow

* * *

Grimmjow gaped at Ichigo, his mind reeling as he desperately tried to find an answer. Sure, answering Ulquiorra's question had been easy but he had simply asked what Alexis meant to him. Ichigo had been direct and straight forward with his question.

"Well, do you or don't you?" He persisted, shaking the Sexta from his thoughts.

"Not the way you're thinking, Berry boy," He snarled lowly. "I'm not into human women like Ulquiorra!"

"She's not technically human," Ichigo pointed out.

"You ain't much of a human yourself, Kurosaki!" Grimmjow retorted, obviously becoming flustered. Ichigo gazed at the Espada evenly and he settled down a little. "Look, I don't know if I like her, I'm an Arrancar; I don't knows those kinds of feelings well. All I know is that I am bound by some fucking invisible force to protect her and that's what I'm gonna do. If she had remained back in Hueco Mundo, I wouldn't have had time for such things, it would have gotten us both killed!" Ichigo continued to gaze at him calmly, taking in everything he said.

"Okay," He sighed startling the Espada. "Say what you may but don't you ever mess with Alexis's feelings!" Grimmjow was taken aback by the animosity of the Vizards words and he was sure he saw a flash of black and gold in his eyes.

"Yeah, whatever," If it hadn't been for the fact that Haru was in his lap, Ichigo would have lunged at the Espada to wring his neck. The Sexta got up and walked away, heading for Alexis's room to check on her. He opened the door and his eyes widened, his breath caught. "FUCK!!!!" Ichigo rushed into the room, his own eyes widening as well.

"She took off…?" He murmured softly, cradling Haru against his chest.

"No shit, Berry boy!" He snarled loudly. The Sexta left his gigai and took off, determined to find the woman before anything could happen to her. _'Where are you, you fucking stupid girl?!' _He thought as he hurried through the air. Her warm scent hit him and he stopped, narrowing his eyes as he looked down at the ground. The Espada landed and stalked up to the already soaked woman, grabbing her arm roughly and pulling her up off the ground.

"Gr-Grimmjow….!?" She gasped, more from pain than surprise.

"What the fuck was that about?!" He roared angrily, tightening his grip. The rain had soaked her clothes and the Sexta's were becoming annoyingly clingy.

"I needed to be alone!" She told him, hiding her eyes. "I've become so confused about everything ever since you returned; I just don't know what to do anymore." He tears mixed with the rain that rolled down her face. "Sometimes I'm afraid of you, other times I completely trust you. It's just so confusing!" Grimmjow released her arm and placed a finger under her chin, tilting her head up. "And I'm afraid you'll leave me again, that you'll end up dying because of something idiotic and leave me feeling alone like before."

"I have some honor in me, brat," He growled softly. "I abandoned my post once but I'm not about to do so again," It was obvious Alexis was confused by his words but that was fine, she needn't know about the conversation between him and her Hollow half. "Next time you want some space, just tell us would ya? I don't want you wandering around by yourself, especially right now."

"Has something happened?" She asked, wiping at her eyes. Grimmjow dropped his hand and placed it in his pocket, a scowl on his face.

"You could put it that way," He muttered. "Ulquiorra was here yesterday night," Alexis's eyes widened and her whole body tensed. "Long story short, your power plus the two Hougyoku's revived those who had fallen in battle; ask Urahara if you want details. We Espada now run Las Noches on our own; our ranks remain because of a possible power imbalance."

"Why was Ulquiorra here? I understand you being here but…"

"Probably for the Inoue woman, he was quite taken with her." He grunted shrugging his shoulders. "They know I'm here and I know it's only a matter of time before someone starts putting their nose where it doesn't belong. I don't want you to ever chance running into Nnoitra, that sick bastard would jump at the chance to get you for himself, if only to piss me off."

"I see," He eyes dropped to the ground. She gave a short cry of surprise when Grimmjow lifted her bridal style and took off back to the shop.

"Don't worry yourself over it," He whispered to her. "You have me and Urahara to protect you, as well as Kurosaki. We won't let anything happen to you or the kid," Alexis felt her face heat up for some reason. She could hear the possessiveness in his voice and it startled her; he'd never acted this way towards her before. What could have caused this change? When they returned, Grimmjow hurried into his room and set Alexis down before retrieving his gigai and snatching up some clothes from the woman's room.

"Thanks, Grimmjow," She smiled, her teeth beginning to click together. Alexis blinked at the clothes when she finally realized what they were and looked at the Espada questioningly.

"They were sitting on your dresser so I grabbed them," He shrugged slipping from his gigai again. He felt uncomfortable inside it since he was still soaking wet. The woman sighed and went into a nearby bathroom to change, returning with a flustered expression. Grimmjow couldn't help but laugh at the woman as she shuffled her feet uneasily. She was wearing his old Arrancar uniform, though it looked as though it had been altered since he last saw her in it. The jacket had been modified to hug her upper body and show off her taut and toned belly. The bottoms had been shortened so as to prevent her from tripping but other than that, it was the same.

"_I'm going to have a chat with you later, Kisuke," _She thought. Hearing his cheerful laughter in response only made her blush a faint pink.

"How come you altered it?" Grimmjow asked, startling the woman.

"I didn't," She muttered. "Kisuke did, probably not long ago either," Alexis watched as the Espada removed his jacket. She couldn't help but stare at his well built chest, though she was curious about his Hollow hole. Grimmjow caught her staring and smirked wickedly.

"You like what you see, brat?" He watched as her face turned as red as a strawberry and laughed loudly.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," She answered quickly, turning her attention elsewhere. The Sexta chuckled to himself as he dressed in a different pair of clothes and slipped back into his gigai. He grabbed the Pure Being about the waist and growled down at her softly before walking out of the room. Ichigo smirked at the pair, causing the woman to blush a darker red.

"Hey, Grimmjow, why don't you hold Haru for a while?" The Vizard glanced at Alexis quickly. The Sexta shrugged, released the silver haired woman and took the sleeping child from his former rival. Ichigo couldn't help but grin at the Espada when he saw him holding his adopted son, he looked a little unsure of himself but the Vizard could see his heart melting as he held the child. It looked so natural that Ichigo nearly gasped when Alexis sat next to the teal haired Espada and stroked Haru's cheek softly. He chuckled softly when Grimmjow's eyes widened at the child who had snuggled closer and clenched his shirt in his little hands.

"Hey, Ichigo, could you take Haru for us?" The Vizard's brows furrowed together, he'd heard the slightest tremor in her voice and it worried him. "I need to speak with Grimmjow privately," Okay, now he was really worried. He knew leaving her alone with Grimmjow was a risky move and he couldn't allow him to harm her in anyway. The Vizard reluctantly took Haru from the Espada, giving him a warning glare as he slipped away.

"And I was just gettin' used to holding the kid too," She heard the Sexta mutter. "Usually I'm the one that wants to chat, so what gives?"

"I'm sorry if I've been snappish towards you these past few days," Grimmjow blinked then, where was this suddenly coming from? "As I said earlier, I'm just confused about everything, especially you. And also…. Something doesn't feel quite right. "I know _they_…" She paused to take a breath. "Are locked away but I know something isn't right. I thought by now they would have tried to break out, it's almost as though they are waiting for something, some sort of catalyst."

"Brat, they are locked away for good, as I've been told anyway. Aizen ain't dumb enough to try something like that," Grimmjow suddenly paused and rethought what he'd said. "Scratch that, he _is _dumb enough to do something like that! But it's doubtful, he has no reason to escape since he never found out about you and the other Hougyoku is supposedly in the Seireitei, heavily guarded might I add."

"That calms my nerves, though only a little," She brought her hand up and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Grimmjow watched this movement and narrowed his eyes at her exposed neck. "Um, Grimmjow, why are you looking at me like that?" Alexis's heart began to pound in her chest, she knew that look anywhere. Just as she expected, the Sexta lunged forward, knocking her over, his left hand gripping a fistful of her hair. The woman gave a chocked gasp and squeezed her eyes shut against the pain that was shooting through her body.

"Why didn't you say anything about this?!" He snarled in her ear. "This gash on your neck, who gave it to you?!"

"I-I don't know!" She gasped in pain. The Sexta growled angrily as he stared at the wound, trying to figure out what to do.

"Oi, remember what I did to your wrist?" He smirked at her. This was the only warning she received before the Espada lowered his mouth to her neck. Her face burst with color and she squirmed uncomfortably under his large body.

"Grimmjow, stop it!" She bit out, desperately trying not to moan. The Sexta smirked against her throat and scraped his canines over the smooth flesh, causing the woman to gasp. He could feel her body trembling beneath his and he frowned as he pulled back to look at her.

"Brat, I've told you already that I'm not going to hurt you," He sighed becoming frustrated. "And yet you still fear me because of what I did before," He touched her cheek lightly and watched with a twinge of pain as she jerked back. "What else are you afraid of?" Thunder rumbled overhead as he spoke.

"I'm afraid that if we become too connected, it'll hurt us both," She whispered sadly. "I'm afraid that if I ever fall in love with you that you will be taken away from me again." Grimmjow's eyes softened and he released her hair, crawling off the woman so she could sit up.

**Ichigo's P.O.V**

I know I shouldn't have been eavesdropping but the thought had been too tempting, plus my idiot Hollow, Hichigo, had told me that I might hear something interesting if I did so. And for once, he was right. I was a little sad though, because I knew the truth long before Alexis said it.

'_She only said that because she's already fallen for him,' _I thought sadly.

"_**You forgot ta mention that she fell for 'em hard!" **_Hichigo cackled in my mind.

'_Shut up!'_ I growled at him. I felt him slip away and sighed heavily. I had figured it out a long time ago, five years ago in fact, right before Grimmjow and I fought the last time. I had seen it in her eyes, that growing spark of affection when she spoke to me. Maybe these past five years were a good thing; it allowed her feelings for him to grow. But there is a small problem… How would Haru react to his mother having another man, an Arrancar male, as her lover? I brushed the thought aside and continued to listen.

**Normal P.O.V**

"No one can take me away, brat, I'm your Guardian," Grimmjow growled. "And even if they managed to do that somehow, I'd break free, kick their fucking asses and come back for you."

"That's sweet, Grimmjow," She giggled making him blush lightly. "But nothing good could ever come from our type of relationship, it wouldn't be right."

"You wanna bet? I love breaking any sort of rules so this is no exception." Alexis was about to asked what he meant when he roughly grabbed the front of her jacket and pulled her into his lap. His mouth crashed down on hers in a rough kiss that startled the silver haired woman. A tiny jolt of electricity shot through their bodies and they felt a hard tug on their souls. The connection had been reformed, stronger than ever. Alexis loosened her grip on the Espada's shirt and rested her hands against his chest as he pulled her closer. They finally broke apart for air and Grimmjow couldn't help the grin that spread across his face as he looked at the flustered woman. "Still think you can argue with me on that topic?" She shook her head, stunned by the kiss. "I may be your Guardian but it doesn't mean I'm going to follow the unwritten codes that go with the damn title. If someone says something won't work, I make it work."

"That was my first kiss," Alexis whispered, blushing hard. The Sexta gave a vicious smirk as he released her jacket and wrapped his arms around her waist. "It's strange, I'm the last of the Cursed Pure Beings so I should be trying to uphold all of my traditions; yet I can't seem to even do that. Never in our history have we been known to take Guardians from outside our own race and yet I have you, an Arrancar and Kisuke, a shinigami."

"Yeah well sometimes old traditions need to be replaced and new ones created," Grimmjow shrugged. "And I bet in all of your species' history, no one has ever had a… love interest quite like me." He gave her a crooked smile.

"I never said I loved you!" She blushed again. Grimmjow leaned in and captured her lips in a short kiss. He pulled back and Alexis smacked his shoulder with a glare. "You are such an infuriating jerk, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez!"

"I know I am but ya love me anyway, brat," He growled nuzzling into her soft hair. The Sexta purposely fell backwards and held Alexis to him as she squirmed in his arms.

"Took you tow long enough," The woman ceased her movements and looked up sheepishly to see her father smiling down at them.

"I-I can explain," Alexis began, sounding like a teenager who'd been caught making out.

"There's no need to explain," He chuckled. "I knew it was only a matter of time before he decided to make his move on you. I know this wasn't planned so it makes it all the more exciting," Grimmjow shifted and stood up, keeping one arm around Alexis's waist as they faced the blonde shinigami. "And I have to say, I approve of the relationship, no matter how unusual it may be," The pair felt another tug on their souls and Alexis smiled, despite herself blushing furiously. The Sexta Espada held the woman against his side in a protective manner and held his hand out much to everyone's surprise.

"Thanks, I guess," He huffed. "For letting us be together under these circumstances," Urahara chuckled and shook his hand, smiling kindly.

"My daughter deserves to be happy," He said. "Although she may argue that she doesn't like you, I know she does, I've always known," Alexis smiled and pulled away from Grimmjow to hug the man. "Keep him on his toes, Lex, otherwise he'll get bored," She immediately got the hidden meaning and blushed hard.

"That is so not right, dad!" She shouted, smacking his arm kiddingly. Thunder crashed loudly overhead before she could speak again and the space before the shop began to open. A senkaimon had appeared. Grimmjow pulled Alexis into the protection of his body and threw himself to the ground along with Urahara just as the front of the shop was blown away.

"Hey, are you guys alright?!" Ichigo shouted, running into the destroyed portion of the shop. "What the hell is going on?" He looked around and his eyes widened. "No way… I thought you were gone for good!?" He held the still sleeping Haru in his arms protectively.

"It's been a long time, Kurosaki Ichigo," A familiar voice said. "How have you been?" The orange haired man glared at the person hatefully.

"What do you want?" He demanded watching as the other three appeared from the debris. "Get over here!" He shouted to them. Urahara was the first to get to his feet and swivel around, eyes wide, Grimmjow followed suit with Alexis behind him, except he took a more defensive stance.

"Aizen Sousuke…" Urahara breathed out. The two men hurried to where Ichigo was and the Sexta left his gigai to prepare for the inevitable fight. "What do you want? There is nothing for you here!"

"On the contrary…" Alexis was pulled from behind the Espada's gigai by Gin who merely smiled as he rejoined Aizen. "I failed to realize the girls' secret before but now I know," Grimmjow's body tensed. "She is a Living Hougyoku," That was it, he snapped. The Espada lunged at the man with every intent to kill him and retake what was now his. Intense pain rocketed through his body as Tousen brought his zanpaku-tō down across his chest in one swift motion. Alexis screamed in pain and strained against Gin's restricting arms, going limp soon after. "Good-by, Kurosaki Ichigo, I do hope you are prepared for the coming battle, as this time I will be victorious!" A garganta opened and they stepped through, with Gin giving the enraged Espada a mocking smile as they whisked Alexis away with them.

"DAMN YOU AIZEN!!" He howled in rage, trying to pull away from the gigai that was restraining his injured body.

"Ichigo, take Grimmjow and Haru to your place," Urahara whispered over the Sexta's swearing. "I have things to do…"

* * *

kai crazy: *runs away from angry reviewers* Please don't kill me! Plz R&R and just as a side note, the next few chapters will be a bit sad and painful for Alexis...


	22. How Do You Tell a Child

kai crazy: *hiding from angry reviewers* Plz don't kill me! But the story must go on, regardless of the sudden kidnapping...

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, Tite Kubo does.

Claimer: I own Alexis and Haru.

"..." Normal conversation

_'...' _Normal thoughts

_"..."_ Connection thoughts

**_"..." _**Inner Hollow

* * *

Grimmjow winced as Isshin wrapped his injured chest; it hurt like all fucking hell!

"Trouble seems to follow you everywhere," The Espada jumped at the man's sudden words. "What will you do now, Grimmjow? Will you go after her?"

"I'm her fucking Guardian; of course I'm going after her!" He snarled lowly as the man finished his work.

"Alexis means a lot to you, doesn't she?" At first the Sexta's expression was hard, as though he were going to tell him off. But he sighed, his expression softening as he did so.

"Heh, I guess she does," He mumbled. "She my lover now and I'll be damned if I let Aizen do anything to her, she's mine after all." His voice was soft but Isshin heard the possessiveness of his words.

"You should feel honored to have been chosen as her Guardian," Isshin smiled. "I did some research on her kind and found out she's of royal blood, it's why she can have two Guardian's at once."

"So she's a princesa?" Grimmjow used the Spanish word for princess making the man chuckle. "No wonder that freak of a shinigami was so stingy about me being the brat's Guardian."

"I think you've proven yourself a worthy person in Kisuke's eyes." The Espada blinked in surprise at this. "By coming back for Alexis, you've shown that he can entrust her to you. And when you made the decision to send her back here all those years ago… it only confirmed his previous belief's in you."

"How the hell do you know so much?" Grimmjow narrowed his eyes at the man who only confused him by laughing.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Isshin returned to his goofy, clueless self, enjoying the Espada's confused expression. Just then, a heart wrenching cry floated down into the clinic and immediately Grimmjow sonido'd upstairs. Haru was awake and he was crying rather loudly.

"What's he crying for?" He growled at Ichigo who looked at him sadly.

"Momma! Where's Momma?!" Haru wailed, wiping at his eyes furiously.

"I can't tell him," Ichigo whispered. "I don't know how to," The man pulled the child into his lap. "C'mon, Haru, it's okay," He murmured. "I'm here for you," Grimmjow watched helplessly as Ichigo tried to comfort the howling child. He struggled to think of a way to tell Haru the truth of where his mother was and had a sudden idea.

"Oi quit crying and I'll tell you a story," He growled sitting next to Ichigo. The orange haired man gave him the are-you-crazy look and the Espada rolled his eyes. "It's about a beautiful princesa," Haru quieted down and gave him an odd look. "I know you're a boy but I think you will enjoy it. The princesa reminds me of your mother," The boy clutched Ichigo's shirt in his hands as he looked up at the exhausted Espada, tears still filling his eyes. "A long time ago, there was a Royal Family that had just celebrated the birth of a little girl, their new Princesa named Reina. She had silver hair and striking silver eyes that stunned the King and Queen. Reina had a bad heart though and had to have surgery to help her recover, leaving scars on her tiny body. Everyone loved their little Princesa but one person, a rival King, disliked her family and sought to destroy them."

"He sent his soldiers after them and stormed the castle, killing the King and Queen," Ichigo picked up once he got the idea. "When he went to find Reina, he found her crib empty and shouted in rage. One of the Royal Guards who had been sworn to protect the Princesa had fled with her to a peaceful village to hide from the new King. Reina grew up like any normal middle-class child and made friends with the villagers; no one knew she was really their Princesa, not even Reina herself."

"One day, she fell asleep by the river and it began to rain," Grimmjow continued. "A guard from the castle walked by, he was off duty and making the best of it. He didn't know it was Reina so he went down to tell her that she should get up and go home before someone else found her slumbering there. The klutzy Princesa slid into the river and nearly drowned but the guard saved her. After that, the guard continued to think about her and finally went to her home to ask her father about her. He wasn't given much information, only that she was descended from an ancient clan of people." The Sexta took a deep breath to calm himself down and continued. "He lost his place within the Royal Guard after leading an attack on the village and returned with his comrades sometime later."

"This was only distraction," Ichigo picked up again. "Another member of the Royal Guard went after a woman with extraordinary healing abilities and forced her to return to the castle with him. He also went after Reina, kidnapping her and taking her to the castle."

"When the rebellious ex-Royal Guard saw her, he was furious that the king had ordered her capture," Grimmjow bit out. "He managed to receive permission to return her to the village where he forced her to fear him and pushed her away in order to protect her. He also regained his rank among the Guard."

"Reina was then placed into the protection of an elite group of fighters," Ichigo whispered. "She was well protected but…"

"What happened to the Princesa?" Haru sniffled.

"She was recaptured," Grimmjow growled. "This time the guard made it his duty to protect her with his life. He gave her his uniform to wear as he did not like her normal clothing and made small talk with her, though he knew she feared him more than anything. It wasn't long before the king found out about her ancestry and began to make the connection to her past. During the time that the guard protected her, he found himself caring more and more deeply for her, though he refused to acknowledge the new feelings. Then war broke out between the village, its elite fighters and the Royal Guard. The Princesa was sad and afraid that her new Guardian would be killed but he didn't care as long as she was safe."

"He and an Elite fought and he was nearly killed, saddening the Princesa deeply." Ichigo blinked back his own tears as the memories flooded back. "She was so sad that her own power bloomed and spread over the land, bringing an end to the War and reviving some of those who had been killed. Five years passed and the Princesa got a surprise when her Guardian returned for her, confessing his feelings after a few days."

"But the happiness did not last long," Grimmjow clenched his fist in his lap. "The King and his advisors escaped and took the Princesa from her loved ones, who had only just learned who she really was. To this day, they search for a way to rescue the beautiful Princesa, Reina." Haru sniffled again and was surprised by the Sexta's sad expression.

"Momma was taken away…?" He murmured, eyes tearing up again.

"Yeah but I plan on getting her back. I'm her Guardian and I just figured out how I really feel about her." Ichigo snickered a little but he ignored it.

"You like my mom?" Haru's silver eyes were like saucer plates by then.

"I'm not going to repeat myself," He frowned at the giggling child.

"So, if you marry my Mom does that mean you'll be my dad?" Both men sucked in a sharp breath.

"Now's not the time to think about that, okay?" Ichigo tried brushing the subject aside. "We still need to get your mother back from Aizen," He looked at the Sexta warily. "I'm sure the others have already been told of what's occurred, I'll call them over and we'll start planning." The Espada nodded as Ichigo handed Haru to him and left to make the calls.

"Uncle Grimmjow, will my mom be okay?" Haru whispered, curling up in his lap. Grimmjow was glad he'd slipped back into his gigai; it would have been awkward had the child fallen through his Hollow hole.

"I'm not sure right now, kid, your mom's a fighter and that could get her into trouble with Aizen." As if on cue, a flash of pain rocketed through their connection and into his body causing him to grit his teeth and stiffen.

"I hope she'll be alright," He sniffled, yawning from crying so much.

"Yeah, me too," Grimmjow cradled Haru against his still injured chest, his eyes closed. _'Don't worry, brat,' _He thought. _'I'll be there soon…'_

XxXxXx

Alexis cried out in pain as she was forced into her true form before Aizen. He had taken control of Las Noches rather easily, with most of the Espada declaring their loyalty to him once again. He had ordered Ulquiorra to take her to an empty cell while he got himself comfortable in the throne room and had called for her to be brought to him shortly after. Now, she was on the ground, her wrists shackled by two Arrancar on either side of the room. Aizen had exerted his reiatsu upon her, so much so that her body had immediately reacted and begun to change, almost like a defense mechanism.

"If you continue to resist, you will exhaust yourself and die," He sighed, an annoyed look on his face.

"I will… never show my power… to you!" She bit out, screeching when the pressure became heavier on her strained body. That's when her body gave out and her power burst forth from within. White wings unfurled from her back, her hair lengthened and her skin paled; Ryuhime rested comfortably on her hip.

"Truly a magnificent sight to behold," She heard Aizen muse. Alexis felt a hand tangle itself in her hair and gave a short cry when the person jerked her head back roughly. "You will serve me, Alexis," The brunette stated, descending from his throne. "If you resist, I will have to kill that traitor Grimmjow," He saw her eyes widen and knew he'd struck a nerve. "Do you understand?"

"Yes," She hissed when the person jerked her head painfully.

"Yes, what?" Tears filled the woman's eyes.

"Yes, Aizen-sama," The shinigami smirked and waved his hand for the Arrancar to release her. _'I'm sorry, Grimmjow, I have no choice,' _She thought to herself. Alexis's hands were bound in front of her and she was led away to her newly prepared room. She would fight Aizen's control any way she could until she was rescued but by the time that happened, it may be too late….

* * *

kai crazy: Sorry it's a bit short, but that's how this chapter is. I'll see y'all in chapter 23, if I don't get killed... plz R&R


	23. Creating an Arrancar

kai crazy: Sorry for the late update, I just haven't had the time to type lately with winter guard rehearsals and such. Anyway, here's chapter 23 at last!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, Tite Kubo does.

Claimer: I own Alexis and Haru.

"..." normal speech

_'...'_ Normal thoughts

_"..." _connection thoughts.

**_"..." _**Inner Hollow

* * *

Alexis lifted her head from her arms when the lock on the door clicked and creaked open. She turned her head away as the person stepped inside, a wide smile on their face.

"How do ya feel, Hime-chan?" He asked, not missing how she stiffened at his voice.

"Leave me alone, Ichimaru," She muttered bitterly.

"Come now, yer feathers are gettin' ruffled because of yer angry aura."

"I wouldn't be so angry if you would just leave me alone for once." She retorted coldly. Ignoring this, Gin shunpo'd closer and placed a hand on her gray tinted wing. Immediately, Alexis shrank back, folding her wings around her body protectively.

"Are ya always like this?" He chuckled, smoothing out some of her feathers. "Around Grimmjow, I mean?" At the mention of her Guardian lover, Alexis relaxed and gave a heavy sigh.

"He carved this fear into my soul," She whispered. "I'm naturally afraid of the residents of Las Noches," Gin merely smiled and continued his task of smoothing out the feathers of her wings. He was about to ask a rather personal question when Szayel Aporro Grantz appeared, a scowl on his face.

"Aizen-sama has requested you in the meeting hall," He said, pushing his glasses up. The ex-taichou sighed and left quickly, leaving Szayel with Alexis. "Hm, you've grown since you were last here," He noted. "Cursed Pure Beings are very beautiful creatures up close," Alexis shuddered at his tone of voice. "I'm surprised Aizen hasn't issued a search and capture order for Grimmjow," The Octava walked over to the now upset woman.

"If he does, I'll just tell Grimmjow to run away," She replied stiffly.

"Do you honestly believe that he would listen?" The woman remained silent. "Grimmjow is stubborn and very protective, if not possessive, of what is his. He'll come for you, no matter what it takes to get here; even if it means getting captured." A tear slid down Alexis' cheek and Szayel sighed, placing a finger under her chin to tilt her face up. "When Ulquiorra came back, he reported his findings and his suspicions, so we are quite aware of your current relationship status with the Sexta." Alexis blushed a faint pink making the Octava chuckle. "We of the Espada support the two of you, seeing as it involves one of our own and you, the last of your kind. We will protect you from Aizen until Grimmjow comes for you," The woman's dual colored eyes widened and more tears slid down her cheeks.

"How do I know I can trust you?" She whispered, voice trembling. "You swore your loyalty to Aizen again," She was surprised to see Szayel smiling at her question.

"My dear, an Espada always keeps his word," He smirked. "And that subject is one for another time," He removed his finger from her chin and stepped back. "Should he ever ask me to do anything to you, I will do my best to refuse or at least suggest a different test. If anyone causes you trouble, come and find one of the Espada and watch out for Nnoitra." Alexis nodded and wiped her eyes as the pink haired scientist left. The woman returned to looking out the low window with a sad sigh. She wanted to revert to her normal human form so badly but Aizen would not allow her to do so. He had done something to her body before that now blocked any attempt to revert back and forced her to remain in her natural form. The door to her room suddenly opened and Alexis jumped up, wings tucked behind her and one hand hovering above the hilt of her zanpaku-tō.

"You may relax, Alexis Trinity," The woman knew that voice anywhere. She relaxed her stance and looked straight at the Cuatro Espada, who regarded her with a curious glance. "It's strange seeing a Cursed Being female in their natural form. If it were not for the fact that angels do not exist, I would say you were descended from one." Ulquiorra calmly looked over her body, noting her now pale skin, wings and lengthened hair. "Why is your right wing silver in color?" Alexis blinked and the Espada was before her, fingertips lightly caressing the feathers of the wing in question.

"Because of my Hollow powers," She replied finding his touch soothing.

"How big of a wing span do you have?" Alexis' eyes glinted and her wings snapped open, revealing them to be at little over five feet in length. She folded them behind her once more and Ulquiorra placed his hand back in his pocket. "Grimmjow has never seen you like this." It was a statement rather than a question.

"No, he has not," She admitted. "I don't want him to; I never wanted anyone to see me like this. In this form I become unpredictable, especially in battle; and I don't want to risk hurting anyone who might have accidently gotten in my way." Ulquiorra said nothing as he absorbed the information he was being told.

"I suppose Szayel has already spoken to you of a certain matter," He finally sighed. "I may have a dislike of the Sexta Espada but Inoue Orihime has asked me to watch over you, should anything like this ever happen again."

"Thank you, Ulquiorra," She nodded to him gratefully.

"You should get some rest; I fear that it will not be long before Aizen requests your presence in the throne room once again." Another nod and the Espada left swiftly, not saying another word as he did so. Alexis moved towards the bed and lay on her stomach, closing her eyes almost instantly.

XxXxXx

"_Grimmjow…"_ _The name travelled through the connection and reached the Sexta well before Alexis materialized on the pathway. She looked as she did in her normal human form which_ _pleased her as it was her world to command. "Are you there?" Alexis opened her eyes just as a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her small body._

"_Has that fucking bastard done anything to you, brat?" Grimmjow snarled in her ear, his eyes narrowed dangerously._

"_No, I'm fine, Grimmjow," She whispered, fighting back the tears that stung at her eyes. "I'm just scared and I really want to go home." She heard the Sexta snicker and knew she must have sounded like a whiny little child._

"_Berry boy and the others are currently planning your rescue, we'll be there as soon as we can." _

"_Thank you," She smiled and buried her face in his chest, her arms wrapping around his waist. "How is Haru doing?" The Espada's eyes softened and he squeezed her shoulder with a sigh._

"_The kid's doing just fine," He murmured. "Kurosaki and I managed to tell him what happened, indirectly of course."_

"_How did you do that?" A small smile graced her lips._

"_We told him a story," Alexis giggled making the Sexta growl in annoyance. "It was the only way to get him to stop his fucking crying! He's just like you, ya cry baby," He smirked when the woman smacked his chest with a glare. The pathway suddenly shifted and they were standing in a lush grass field, the sun shining down on them brightly. "What the hell is this?"_

"_My inner world," Alexis smiled. "My Hollow is around but she won't bother you too much."_

"_**That's what you think, Queen," **__Grimmjow released the woman and spun around, his breath catching when he did so. Lexis, as she called herself, wore a tight fitting top that was cut at the shoulders so the sleeves hung on her arms. Unlike the shirt itself, the sleeves were loose and reached a little past her wrists. Lexis wore a short, school girl styled skirt and normal Arrancar sandals, which to both Alexis and Grimmjow seemed odd._

"_Woman, what the fuck do you want?" Grimmjow sneered, displeased by the Hollow's appearance._

"_**My Queen was unhappy, so I came here to talk with her," **__She smirked.__** "I expected to find her alone and yet when I arrive I find you with your arms around her," **__Lexis sonido'd forward and cupped his chin. __**"My dear Sexta Espada… I asked you to take care of my Queen," **__Grimmjow felt her nails begin to dig into his hierro flesh and hissed. __**"It was a simple request, was it not?"**_

"_Fuck off!" He hissed when he felt her nails pierce through his flesh._

"_**And yet, you've allowed Aizen to capture her!" **__With a furious snarl, Lexis swiped her hand across the Sexta's face. The Espada gave a short cry as he stumbled back, his hand coming up to cover the scratch marks and small crescent shaped wounds on his face._

"_I didn't allow Aizen to do anything!" He roared angrily though the woman was unfazed. "No one thought that the fucking bastard would escape! Nor did we think he would come after the brat!" Lexis sighed as she walked towards the Sexta once more, this time placing her hands on his shoulders._

"_**You had better come for her, Espada," **__She whispered, pulling him down with a quick jerk. Grimmjow was stunned by the Hollow's actions, even more so when she kissed him. He shoved her back with a disgusted growl, baring his teeth at the woman when she merely smiled at him. __**"I'm just her most basic instincts, a manifested form of them actually. Hichigo is far worse than me, had it been him he'd have tried to rape you no doubt." **__She laughed when her Queen blushed in embarrassment. The peaceful field suddenly wavered and Alexis gasped in fear. Grimmjow watched as the world shattered, taking them back to the pathway which was also becoming distorted._

"_I have to go," Alexis told him quickly. "Aizen has sent someone for me," The Sexta's expression was hard as Alexis' form began to fade along with her Hollow's. Her next words were silenced by her disappearance, returning the pathway to normal._

"_Don't worry, brat," He growled to himself. "I'll get you back no matter what happens. You are mine and I'll be fucking damned if I let anyone stop me from taking back what is mine." Grimmjow turned and he too faded away, wanting to return to help plan the rescue mission._

XxXxXx

Alexis sat up and turned her head to the door just as it opened. She was relieved to see that the person sent to fetch her was Halibel, the lone female Espada. The silver haired woman slid off the bed and walked over to the large chested Arrancar who looked rather reluctant to be escorting her to the throne room.

"I would rather not be doing this," She nearly blurted, confirming Alexis's suspicions.

"I'll be fine," Alexis gave a soft smile but Halibel saw right through it.

'_I hope you are right,' _Alexis followed the female Espada through Las Noches to the throne room.

"Ah, Alexis, so good of you to join us," Halibel saw her tense but said nothing as she joined the other members of the Espada that were present. "I believe that it is time you fulfilled your agreement with me, my dear," Alexis' eyes widened when he said this. "It hurts me to know you've forgotten," He sighed. "Five years ago, you agreed to help me with the creation of my Arrancar army," Aizen saw the woman begin to tremble in fear of what was to come. "Will you help me willingly?"

"No, I will not be used for the same purpose as my twin!" Alexis replied defiantly.

"I had hoped you would make this easier on yourself but I suppose Grimmjow's defiance has rubbed off on you." Before the woman could even react, her wrists were bound in shackles and her arms pulled taut so as to prevent her escape. Aizen shunpo'd down and grasped her chin between his thumb and index finger. "I'll ask one last time, will you help me willingly?"

"Not on your life!" She bit out, her Hollow eye flashing dangerously.

"So, Grimmjow is not the only reason for your defiance; it's your Hollow side." Aizen's lips twitched up into an amused grin. "A Pure Being such as yourself should not be able to harbor such a thing but you were exposed to a Hollow's power at such a young, influential age, it was only natural for this to happen." Alexis growled at him and gave a chocked cry of pain when the two Arrancar's tugged on her shackles, nearly pulling her arms out of place.

"Aizen-sama…" Halibel stepped forward but Ulquiorra held his arm out, shaking his head. They watched as a case containing a bandage wrapped Hollow was brought into the room and most of the Espada averted their eyes; they knew what came next. The brunette smirked and released her chin, his eyes travelling to her chest. Alexis gasped and squeezed her eyes shut in shame when the shinigami pressed his left hand over her heart. The woman gave a heart breaking cry when Aizen pushed his power reiatsu into her chest, forcing the Hougyoku to fully activate.

"And yet you still defy me?" Aizen pushed more reiatsu into her chest, smirking when her eyes and wings snapped open. The brunette reached out to the case with his right hand and carefully channeled the Hougyoku's power through his body and into the awaiting Hollow. Alexis gave a pitiful sob as the case broke, revealing the newly formed Arrancar. Aizen abruptly removed his hand from her chest and frowned at his burnt flesh. Alexis felt the Hougyoku return to its normal semi-active state and fell limp, her eyes seeing but not seeing.

"This would have been much less painful had you cooperated with me," Aizen sighed, grabbing a fistful of hair and jerking her head up. "Perhaps this will serve a lesson for the future," He stepped aside so she could see the new Arrancar. "This is the new life created from your power, Alexis," The silver haired woman shifted her eyes to look at the Arrancar. "What is your name comrade?"

"Reina Garcia," The voice was female. The new Arrancar sat on her legs, her hands placed between her thighs as though she had tried to push herself up; her zanpaku-tō lay on the floor next to her. Her thick blue hair fell in soft waves to her shoulders and her piercing blue eyes were naturally narrowed in a fierce manner. She had a feminine body, her chest was not as big as Orihime's but they weren't small either, they were in the middle. The remnants of her Hollow mask formed a simple circlet around her head with two fangs dipping down to circle her face and ending just below her ears; at the start of her jaw.

"Well, Reina, seeing as you were created by a very unique individual, I am placing you with her. You will be her fracción, even though she is not an Espada, is that understood?"

"Yes, Aizen-sama," She said, bowing her head to him. Halibel handed Reina a new set of clothes and helped her dress before helping her to stand. The female pushed her away and looked towards her new master worriedly.

"She will be fine," The Tercera Espada assured her. The shackled binding Alexis' wrists were released and Reina quickly went to her side to support her. "I will take you to her room but please hand her to Ulquiorra," Reina was hesitant but she obliged and allowed the Cuatro to carry her mistress.

"Alexis Trinity, we all realize you do not wish to submit to Aizen-sama's will but if you resist again as you just did, I fear the consequences will be even greater." Ulquiorra sighed as he walked beside Halibel.

"You knew… I would resist…" She panted, eyes glazed. "I don't want to be… used for such evil intentions."

"Save your breath," Halibel told her. "You need to rest now and recover your strength," Alexis nodded and gasped in pain when Ulquiorra shifted her arm to adjust her body and avoid touching her wing. Reina stumbled towards them but Halibel caught her arm before she could get any closer. "You need to relax as you are just getting used to this again and your legs are weak." The young Arrancar nodded and pulled her arm free. They arrived at Alexis's room and the two Espada helped the woman to get comfortable, even ordering food for her should she get hungry later. "I will return at a later time with Szayel to check on you," Halibel promised as she and Ulquiorra left.

"Alexis-sama, is there anything you need?" Reina asked in a soft voice, afraid to raise her voice too much.

"No, I just need to rest," She replied hoarsely. "You should do the same."

"Of course, Alexis-sama," Reina bowed and made herself comfortable on the large couch adjacent to her mistress's bed.

**Living World**

Grimmjow clutched at his chest and howled in pain, ramming into the wall as he stumbled about. His chest was on fire, it was tight and hurt like all hell. Ichigo jumped out of the way as the Sexta stumbled forward and crashed to the floor, taking a small bedside table with him. The others watched, horrified, as the Espada writhed and screamed in pain, clawing at the floor until his fingers bled.

"FUCK!" Grimmjow wrapped his arms around himself and released a muffled cry of agony. After one final scream, the Sexta fell silent, the only sound in the room being his panting as he tried to calm down.

"What the hell was that about?" Ichigo asked, praying to God that Haru had not heard the commotion.

"Aizen…" He rasped out. "He forced her… he fucking forced her to change a Hollow into an Arrancar!" Cries of disgust filled the room as Chad helped the Espada into a chair.

"He fully activated her power," Ichigo growled lowly. "But I don't get it; he shouldn't have been able to!"

"Think about what you are saying," Urahara interrupted. "The Hougyoku in her body is the same as the one being held in the Soul Society. Alexis can activate it whenever she needs extra power to fight but when she isn't doing so; it's only semi-active within her body. Aizen just had to push his own reiatsu into her body to activate it fully and channel the energy into a Hollow."

"She's trying to fight him," Uryu sighed sadly.

"Yeah well, she'll end up fucking killing herself if she keeps trying to resist that bastard," Grimmjow bit out.

"Her body will not give out," Urahara muttered in a stern voice. "She is a Cursed Pure Being; she will not bend to Aizen's will so easily. Her power will ensure her survival," No one dare respond to this. "Now, we must continue with the preparations, the sooner we act, the faster we can get Alexis out of harms way."

'_Keep fighting, brat,' _Grimmjow thought to himself as the group chatted around him. _'Keep on fighting and living for us… for me.' _The Sexta turned his attention back to the group to help with the planning, his mind still on Alexis and the pain he had felt. _'I'll make that bastard pay….!'_

* * *

kai crazy: I hope you enjoyed it! Plz R&R


	24. Surprise Visitor

kai crazy: Here's chapter 24! Wow this just keeps going and going doesn't it? Well, this story is almost at the climax, only 6 chapters left until it's all over... Anyway, this chapter is interesting, I got the idea from the recent Zanpaku-to filler arc. If you've ever seen it you will understand what Alexis's guest visitor is talking about *evil grin*

Disclaimer: I have no claim to this, Tite Kubo does.

Claimer: I do own Alexis, Haru, Lexis, and Ryuhime.

"..." Normal speech.

_'...' _Normal thoughts/dream thoughts

_"..." _Connection thoughts/ inner world speech (only in inner world when speaking to Lexis)

**"..."** Inner Hollow

* * *

Alexis awoke to find Szayel leaning over her and groaned, alerting the Octava that she was now conscious.

"There doesn't seem to be anything medically wrong with her," He sighed, turning back to Halibel. "She's just drained, physically anyway."

"Quit talking about me like I am still asleep," Alexis muttered, earning a chuckle.

"In your condition, you should still be asleep," He told her, pushing his glasses up. "Has Grimmjow contacted you? Because I am fairly sure he went through hell when Aizen forced you to create that Arrancar over there."

"No, I closed him off after it happened," She whispered. "He knows what happened to me but I will not allow him into my world since I know he would rush here without a plan."

"I see," Szayel gave her a thoughtful look. "You should eat and get some more rest so you can regain some of your reiatsu."

"Alright," The Octava smiled softly and walked off with Halibel behind him. Reina helped Alexis sit up and brought the cart of semi-warm food to her. "Thank you, Reina," The Arrancar smiled and sat down on the floor, her back resting against the bed. "Would you like some?" Her blue eyes widened as she looked up at her mistress and nodded eagerly. Alexis gave her fracción half her food and at quietly, sighing contentedly when she had finished.

"Alexis-sama, may I ask you something?" Reina sat cross-legged in front of her after she'd moved the cart.

"Of course, what is it?"

"What are you exactly? Aizen-sama said you were not an Espada, which means you are not an Arrancar either."

"I am a Cursed Pure Being," She sighed. "What you see before you is my true form but I prefer my human form to this, it's uncomfortable always sleeping on my stomach."

"Why do you smell like a Hollow though?" Alexis was taken aback by this.

"You see, I was exposed to a Hollow when I was a baby and accidently absorbed its abilities, giving me this gold eye. My Curse allows me to evolve or revert and give or take power, unfortunately when I take power it sometimes doesn't work the way I want it to. The Hougyoku in my body enhances all these powers of mine as well."

"That's kinda cool," She smiled brightly. "But the scent on your clothes is that of an Arrancar and I do not mean Halibel-sempai or Ulquiorra-sempai either. It's faint but I can tell that it is different from the other scents now clinging to your body."

"The scent of my Guardian, that's what it is," Alexis told her, a faint blush dusting over her nose. This didn't go unnoticed by the young Arrancar.

"Alexis-sama has a boyfriend! Alexis-sama has a boyfriend!" She sang, laughing loudly. Alexis' face became bright red as she desperately tried to stop her young fracción.

"No one else can know about my Guardian, okay?" Reina nodded still giggling. "Especially Ichimaru…"

"Wha' can't I know?" Alexis nearly fell off the bed when he spoke. "Sorry, I frightened ya, I thought ya heard me come in," He laughed lightly. "Ya shouldn't keep secrets, Hime-chan, it ain't nice."

"It's not that much of a secret," She retorted. "It's more like… very personal information."

"Yer no fun," He pouted mockingly. "An' if it's 'bout yer dislike fer Aizen, then it's no secret."

"Why are you here, Ichimaru?" She asked, ignoring his previous comment.

"I thought ya might like some company," He smiled at her.

"Thanks but no thanks; I now have Reina to keep me company." Alexis suddenly gasped when the ex-taichou pressed on her back. Immediately, her natural form began to fade and her wings slipped back into their hiding place within her body. "What did…. You do to me?"

"I know ya hate bein' in tha' form all the time," He grinned. "I thought ya might like bein' in yer human form better."

"Thank you, I think," She nodded to him.

"An' I wasn't talkin' 'bout company in general. I meant keeping company wit' someone other than an Arrancar."

"Are you saying I am not good enough to keep Alexis-sama company?" Reina growled, climbing to her feet.

"Eh? No not at all," He held his hands up innocently and shook his head. "I just thought she'd like ta be around someone wit a more familiar presence is all." He looked at Alexis, lowering his hands to his lap. "I know ya warmed up ta th' Gotei 13 during yer stay in Soul Society after th' War, Hime-chan, so I thought ya might want th' company of a shinigami is all." Alexis held her arm out to stop Reina from going at the shinigami's throat and sighed.

"I will admit that I did befriend most of the Gotei 13 taichou's during my stay, as well as a few people from the Rukon Districts." She looked at her fracción then. "Reina, go to Halibel and ask her to train you for a while, I've changed my mind about speaking with Ichimaru." The woman gave the ex-taichou a hard glare before bowing.

"As you wish, Alexis-sama," Reina left silently, leaving her mistress with the silver haired man.

"I can't believe how much you've changed in five years, Hime-chan," He chuckled. "Yer all grown up now."

"Five years and I am still afraid of you and the Arrancar, so I've not changed as much as you think." Gin frowned a little at this but his smile returned quickly.

"It's because o' Grimmjow, isn't it?" She nodded and looked away. "Has he been tryin' ta make up fer it?" Again she nodded, this time cracking a small smile. "Eh? Don' leave me hangin', Hime-chan, tell me the details!" Alexis giggled at this, he sounded like a teenager eager for new gossip.

"It's-it's not all that interesting," She stammered, her face beginning to turn red.

"Yer red face says otherwise," He grinned at her. Gin lay out flat on the bed, his head resting on his arms and his feet lifted in the air much like a teenager. Unable to bare it any longer, Alexis told him everything that Grimmjow had done over the past few days, leaving out details that included Haru carefully. "I'm quite surprised he hasn't jumped ya yet, considerin' everythin' you've told me." Alexis blushed crimson red, making the ex-taichou laugh. "I won' tell Aizen any of this, it'll be between us, 'kay?"

"Thank you, Ichimaru," She smiled, her face no longer red.

"Please, call me Gin," She nodded at this. "Since Grimmkitty ain't here ta protect ya from Nnoitra and any others wit dirty minds, I'll keep 'em off yer back, as will th' other Espada."

"That's why I prefer to stay in my room," She shuddered as Gin got up and slid off the bed.

"I'll lock th' door from th' outside fer ya," He waved as he slipped away, allowing Reina to stumble in before he locked the door.

"Is everything alright, Alexis-sama?" The woman looked up at her fracción and saw a large bruise forming on her right cheek.

"Did Halibel do that to you?" She asked curiously, brushing off her question completely. Reina averted her eyes and shuffled her feet, her lips pursed tightly. "It wasn't Halibel, was it?" She shook her head, biting her bottom lip. "Reina, who hit you?"

"Nnoitra-sempai did," She whispered, watching her mistress's eyes widen. "I didn't do anything to him besides tell him to mind his own business when he asked a rather inappropriate question about you. He would have done much more than this had Halibel-sempai and Szayel-sempai not shown up."

"I will have to thank them later," Alexis muttered. The moved to stand up from the bed and was bit by a sudden wave of nausea and dizziness. Reina held her steady and sat her back down, giving her a concerned look when she stepped back.

"Are you alright? Perhaps I should have one of the medical staff come look at you."

"No, I'm fine," She sighed. "I just got up too fast is all," She smiled weakly. Reina remained silent as she helped her mistress stand and walk to the bathroom across from the bed. After washing her face, Alexis took the chance to study her fracción, vaguely noting she was the same height. "You changed your uniform?" She inquired with a smile.

"Hm? Oh, yeah Halibel-sempai helped me decide on the alterations. Do you like it?" Reina's top had been altered to be a halter top with the back almost completely open and hugging her body. Her hakama pants were shorter than normal and rode dangerously low on her hips. She wore a pair of gloves that stopped at her elbows with a piece of fabric circling her middle finger on each hand.

"It looks good on you," She told her.

"The same to you," Alexis's smile faded and she looked down sadly.

"It used to be one of my Guardian's uniforms; my father altered it for me." Reina surprised the woman by embracing her in a tight hug.

"I'm sure he'll come for you soon," She whispered softly. "Until then, I'll protect you," She pulled back and gave a wide grin.

"Thank you, Reina," Alexis smiled. "You should get some rest, I'm sure Halibel trained you hard," The Arrancar laughed and helped her mistress back into the main room. The blue haired female settled on the couch and fell asleep in a matter of moments, purring softly in her sleep. Alexis lay back on the bed and frowned when she felt a push against her conscience. It wasn't Grimmjow, no; he hadn't tried contacting her for a while since he was busy. It was Lexis. The silver haired woman closed her eyes and focused on her inner world, drifting to sleep and materializing where she needed to be.

XxXxXx

"_**No Grimmjow this time?" **__She teased when Alexis opened her eyes. __**"What was with that storm earlier? It nearly destroyed your peaceful haven." **_

"_You know what happened, Lexis, I shouldn't have to repeat myself," She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest._

"_**It was really painful, Queen," **__Lexis muttered. __**"I'm apart of you, I felt it all just like your Guardian did." **_

"_I know and I'm sorry," Alexis sighed again. "But I couldn't do anything; he had my arms shackled so I couldn't get away without pulling them out of place."_

"_**He's one hell of a sick bastard," **__Lexis growled._

"_**An who would tha' be?" **__Alexis jumped at the strange, echoic voice. The two women watched as a figure with pure white skin and clothes materialized before them, an amused expression on his face._

"_**What do you want, Hichigo?" **__Lexis drawled, crossing her arms over her chest. Alexis blinked at the man and for the first time, she actually looked at him. He was the spitting image of Ichigo and the reiatsu leaking from his body made it click in her mind. This was Ichigo's inner Hollow._

"_How did you get here?" She demanded of the Hollow._

"_**How? I'm part o' my King's zanpaku-tō, Zangetsu, just as yer inner self is apart o' Ryuhime. As such, I can travel into yer inner world," **__He gave a cocky smirk. __**"Wha' were ya talkin' 'bout before I interrupted ya?"**_

"_**How Aizen forced her to create an Arrancar," **__Lexis beat her Queen to the answer._

"_**Is tha' so?" **__Hichigo's smirk became a crazed grin. __**"Ya know Grimmjow is pretty pissed tha' yer not lettin' 'em into yer head," **__He was suddenly standing right in front of the woman, towering over her. __**"Is this Arrancar a male? Cause if it is, I'll go back an' tell my King 'bout it and he's bound ta tell Grimmjow. Think how well tha' will go over wit him." **__Alexis' face paled as the thought raced through her mind. The Sexta would go on a rampage if he were ever told such a thing._

"_N-no, the Arrancar is female," She finally found the strength to speak again. "Her name is Reina and she serves me as my fracción."_

"_**Oh? Is she loyal only ta you? Or do her true loyalties lay wit Aizen?" **__Hichigo's smirk grew wider._

"_I-I don't know, it's barely been a day," Alexis began to back away, no longer wishing to speak with the Hollow. The albino caught her wrist and yanked her back, chuckling darkly._

"_**Hichigo, stop taunting her," **__Lexis muttered, glaring at the male._

"_**Where's th' fun in tha'?" **__Before either woman could react, Hichigo had spun Alexis around and pinned her wrists behind her back, his free hand grasping a fistful of lavender-tinted hair. __**"I'm the opposite o' my King an' his purest instincts too," **__He whispered in her ear. __**"He leans more towards men while I lean towards women, especially th' rare types." **__Alexis suppressed a shudder when Hichigo's blue tongue darted out to lick his own lips._

"_**Grimmjow is gonna kill Ichigo if he finds out about this," **__Lexis cackled, a mischievous glint in her golden eyes. The female Hollow disappeared, leaving her Queen alone and at Hichigo's mercy. The albino threw Alexis to the ground and went down on top of her, straddling her back to hold her arms in place. He laughed insanely as she struggled below him, desperately trying to throw him off and get free._

"_**Sorry, lil Princess, but unless ya open yer mind, Grimmjow ain't gonna come fer ya!" **__He cackled when she cried the Espada's name. Hichigo flipped her over and pinned her wrists above her head, simultaneously unzipping her jacket partway. The Hollow smirked when he saw her eyes narrow and her struggles cease; he knew something inside her had snapped. Just as he expected, her struggling resumed, this time getting enough power to push up and knock her head against his own, splitting the skin on both their foreheads. While Hichigo was temporarily dazed, Alexis took the chance to free her hands from his loosened grip and shoved him away. She leapt to her feet and summoned Ryuhime to her hand, unsheathing it and pointing the delicate blade at the Hollow._

"_**That's enough, Queen," **__Lexis reappeared and grasped her wrist. Alexis sheathed her zanpaku-tō and blinked, returning to her normal self._

"_What just happened?" She asked, her eyes widening when she saw the blood trickling down Hichigo's face._

"_**Urahara asked us to test you," **__Lexis replied. __**"He had to know if you protect yourself without me or Grimmjow's help." **_

"_So he used Hichigo to do that?" Both Hollow's nodded._

"_**I'd never actually do tha' to ya," **__He grinned. __**"Th' King would try ta kill me if I did an' Grimmjow would try ta kill my King, which would piss me off."**_

"_Thanks, I guess," Alexis laughed nervously._

"_**You should leave, Hichigo, your job is done," **__The albino nodded and faded away with one last cackle. __**"And you should at least try to talk with the Sexta Espada soon," **__She chided. __**"Not now though, he's still riled up from what's happened."**_

"_I'll try, Lexis, but I can't promise anything," It felt strange saying the shortened version of her own name to address someone else, even though said person was her other half. She closed her eyes and sighed as she was pulled back to the real world._

XxXxXx

Alexis opened her eyes to find Reina looking at her rather worriedly.

"Alexis-sama, your head is bleeding," She whispered. The silver haired woman reached up to touch her forehead. She pulled hit back to find her fingers glistening with bright red blood, still fresh from the look and feel of it.

'_Damn, that head-butt affected my physical body too,' _She thought bitterly. Reina cleaned the blood away and was surprised to see the flesh already healing itself.

"Hime-chan, I'm comin' in," Gin announced as he opened the door. "I see yer already up," He smiled, walking into the room. "It's nearly time fer dinner and Aizen-taichou has requested tha' ya join him." Alexis was speechless, she didn't know what to do now…

* * *

kai crazy: Bet ya didn't see that coming! I just had to add him in there somewhere and this chapter was perfect for him to make his appearence, don't you think? Anway I hope you liked this chapter because chapter 25 has things heating up between Alexis and Grimmjow, if you know what I mean. And no, not a lemon you dirty perverts! It's a bit of a lime.... ish thing I suppose. Anyway plz R&R


	25. Marked for Life and Grimmjows Heart

kai crazy: Well, here's chapter 25! Things really heat up between Grimmjow and Alexis and Grimm finds his sensitive side with Haru -insert cute face- Anway, Merry Christmas everyone! And if you haven't seen it, go check out Bleach Christmas Party, it's a kind of side story to this.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

Claimer: I own Alexis, Haru, Lexis and Ryuhime.

"..." Normal speech

_'...' _Normal thoughts

_"..." _Connection thoughts

**_"..."_** Inner Hollow

* * *

Alexis kept herself composed as Gin advanced into the room, that stupid smile never leaving his face.

"He's requested tha' ya join him," He repeated, stopping at the foot of her bed. "An' tha' ya wear this," He dropped something on the bed. Alexis motioned for Reina to unwrap the bundle of clothes from the wrapping and ribbons. When the young Arrancar held the clothing item up, Alexis gasped and tears sprang to her eyes. It was a dress with the same design as the one she'd worn not three or fours days ago, except this one was white.

"I-I can't wear that," She told him, keeping her emotions in check.

"Why not?" His smile fell only for a second but returned as he cocked his head curiously. "Is it not ta yer liking?"

"No, it's a beautiful dress," She sighed. "It's just…" Gin saw the sad look in her eyes.

"Did ya wear somethin' similar wit' Grimmjow?" The woman nodded slowly. "I understand," He smiled. "Jus' think 'bout him while yer wearin' it. Doin' tha' should help distract ya from Aizen-taichou and everythin' else, kay?" Alexis smiled at the ex-taichou's words and slid off the bed. Reina handed her the dress and stood near the door, glaring at Gin while her mistress changed. When she emerged, Reina looked at her in awe, she looked like a goddess come to earth! Gin couldn't help but smile at her appearance as he handed her the matching heels. Without another word, he led the two women out of the room, surprised to find Ulquiorra waiting for them.

"Aizen-sama has requested that I escort her to the dining hall," He told Gin in his usual lifeless voice.

"Alright," He sighed, giving a mocking pout. "Remember wha' I told ya, Hime-chan," He smiled and walked away. Alexis and Reina followed the pale Espada quietly, with the young fracción glaring at any and all male Arrancar who looked at her mistress. Ulquiorra stopped before the doors of the dining hall and turned to Alexis, his green eyes boring into her dual pair.

"Do not worry, Alexis Trinity, you will not be left alone with this man. The Espada dine with him," She nodded and the door opened. The Cuatro led them inside and offered her the seat next to Aizen, leading Reina away to where most of the other fracción were eating.

"That dress looks amazing on you, my dear," The brunette commented, resting his cheek in his hand.

"Thank you, Aizen-sama," Alexis screamed at herself mentally, she loathed calling him that.

"Why don't you have something to drink?" He offered her a glass of red wine, the expensive kind of course.

"I will have to decline your offer," She breathed out. "I'm not much of a drinker and I would hate to ruin this dress," She thought about the night with Grimmjow and smiled.

"Then you should at least have some tea," He set the glass down and snapped his fingers. An Arrancar appeared with a tray and Aizen gently lifted up a cup and set it in front of Alexis with a kind smile. The woman nodded her thanks and began to eat, answering only some of Aizen's many questions and responding to most of his comments. Szayel walked by and stopped behind her chair, placing a gloved hand on her shoulder.

"How are you?" He asked her. Alexis tore her gaze away from Aizen and swiveled around to look up at the Octava.

"Much better, thank you for asking," She smiled at him. At that moment, Nnoitra walked up and wrapped an arm around her from behind, effectively shoving the pink haired scientist out of the way. His other arm shot out and snatched her cup of tea.

"Heh, it was just sitting there," He smirked. "You'll thank me later, Princesa," He released her and walked off back to his seat. Aizen frowned, displeased with the Quinta's actions towards his guest. He brushed the matter aside and watched as Alexis conversed with Szayel, taking note of her relaxed posture and small smiles.

"Szayel Aporro, please stay behind after dinner," Aizen interrupted. The Octava nodded and continued speaking with the woman, taking the seat beside her. Dinner soon ended and Alexis was escorted back to her room by Ulquiorra and Reina. Szayel gave her a reassuring glance as she left, very discreetly reminding her of his promise.

"He will not do anything to harm you," Ulquiorra stated, making the woman jump in surprise.

"I know he won't," She replied. "I believe he has gotten over his initial scientific interest in me so the need for more… gruesome experiments no longer exists."

"You really are quite observant," Alexis was fairly sure the Cuatro had just complimented her. "I now see why that trash Grimmjow is attracted to you." Alexis mentally prepared herself for him to say trash attracts trash. But, he didn't, "Originally, he saw you as a prize, because of your rare lineage. I believe he began to see past that fact and noticed you for who you are, not what you are. Even in your human guise, you are beautiful," Alexis blushed at the compliment. They arrived in front of the door to her room and she sighed.

"Thank you, Ulquiorra, for at least talking to me," She smiled. "It makes being here a bit more bearable."

"As an Espada, it is my duty to ensure your safety and other such things." He bowed to her and watched as she disappeared into her room with Reina. He locked the door and wandered off, wondering what Aizen had talked with Szayel about.

XxXxXx

"Alexis-sama, why do you think Nnoitra-san took your tea?" Reina asked as her mistress changed her clothes.

"I'm not entirely sure," She told the Arrancar with a sigh. "He was acting so odd though, I hope nothings happened to him," Reina made a face at this, wincing from the bruise on her cheek. "I need to rest some more, you should do so as well," The Arrancar nodded, seeing as she had nowhere else to go. Alexis curled up under the covers after changing into her Arrancar uniform and focused on her inner world once her fracción was asleep.

XxXxXx

"_Grimmjow…" She called out to him, releasing the barriers around her mind. She was immediately pulled against a solid chest, arms locking her against the body firmly._

"_Dammit, brat, you control of these barriers sucks!" He growled into her hair._

"_I'm sorry, Grimmjow," She whispered, knowing he'd gone through intense pain because of her slip up._

"_I should come there and cut his fucking hands off along with his head for making you do that!" Alexis shook her head._

"_You need to calm down before you even think about coming here," She murmured up to him. Grimmjow opened his mouth to argue but instead sighed, letting his body sag against her._

"_I know, but I'm just so fucking pissed about everything that's happening." He pulled Alexis closer to him, pressing his lips into her hair. "I'll get you back, brat, no matter what," As if to seal the promise, Grimmjow tilted her face up and kissed her._

"_Grimmjow…" Alexis whispered breathlessly when it ended. The Sexta kissed her again and again, as though he couldn't get enough of her. He growled against her lips and lifted her up, never breaking contact. Alexis instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck as his hands gripped her bottom to support her. The Espada grinned into the kiss when he saw her flushed face, it was too damn cute. Their kisses grew fiercer, hungrier, and more desperate as they continued. Alexis felt something poke her and gasped, allowing Grimmjow's tongue to invade her mouth. The Sexta easily won the small tongue fight and scraped his canines over the muscle, earning a groan from the woman. They were suddenly in the field, which gave Grimmjow an idea. He walked until his back hit a tree and sat, shifting Alexis so she sat in his lap._

"_Are you afraid of me?" He growled, pulling away from the woman._

"_No," She told him. Even here in their own world, Grimmjow was in his gigai, so Alexis really had no reason to fear him. The Sexta narrowed his eyes at her, hating how she'd openly lied to him. He closed his eyes and focused and was soon in his normal form. He felt Alexis tense, her fingers dig into his neck and her body jerked back a little._

"_Listen, brat, I'm not always goin' to be in a gigai, you have to get over that." He grabbed her chin and pulled her into a rough kiss. He pulled back and moved his hand from her chin to the back of her head, fisting it in her hair. He pulled the woman into another kiss, this time biting at her lower lip hard enough to draw blood. Alexis whimpered and groaned when Grimmjow sucked on the wound, exciting the Sexta even more. He swept her hair to the side with his other hand and wrapped her hair around it while he simultaneously yanked at the collar of her jacket._

"_Grimm…" She didn't get to finish saying his name. The Espada pressed his lips to where he knew the healing gash on her neck was and kissed along the pink line, scraping his canines over the sensitive flesh as he did so. Grimmjow tugged her head to the side some more and pressed his lips to where her pulse was. Alexis shut her eyes tightly, deep down she knew what he wanted to do and she knew he would do it without hesitation. A part of her wanted Grimmjow to do it needed him to do it; her true self wanted it. But her human side, the person she was before the War, was afraid of him, and was afraid of what he would do to her if he had his way… Before Alexis could protest, the Sexta nipped at her throat and sucked on the flesh gently, preparing her for what he was going to do._

"_I don't like to share what's mine," He growled against her throat. "Now it's time to prove that you belong to me, brat!" With that, he plunged his canines into her throat. Alexis screamed and tried jerking back but the Espada kept his free arm wrapped around her waist tightly. Soon her screams died away, replaced by gasps and groans, small whimpers and mews of unexpected pleasure. Grimmjow drew his teeth from her flesh, eliciting a gasp of pain from the small woman in his lap. He lapped at the wound soothingly, his eyes bright with satisfaction at what he'd done._

"_That hurt you jerk," Alexis muttered as he pulled away. The Sexta grinned and pulled her flush against his hard body._

"_From the sounds you made, brat, I'd say you liked it quite a bit," The woman blushed and hid her face in his neck while he laughed. The Espada released her hair and placed both hands on her hips, groaning when she accidently brushed against his arousal. Grimmjow growled at her when she pulled back to look at him and captured her lips._

"_Grimmjow, stop..!" Alexis managed to pull away, panting heavily. "I-I'm not ready to go any further," The Sexta's eyes softened at how innocent she looked. "Can you try to wait?"_

"_Yeah, I'll try but I can't promise you shit, brat," He grunted huskily. "I can't guarantee I won't try to fuck you the moment I get you back." The woman's whole body turned red at this. "I've already marked you as mine, it'll remain there the rest of your life, brat," He kissed the bite mark on her neck. "When I mark you for the second time, you'll become my mate," He helped Alexis to stand and kept her in his arms, grinning at their height difference. "No one can touch you now, brat, that mark will show up on your physical body as will my scent no doubt." He bent down and kissed her again. "Just wait a little longer, we're almost ready," Those were his final words before he faded away._

XxXxXx

Alexis opened her eyes and found herself in her room within Las Noches.

'_Crap, I better go look,' _She shot out of bed and into the bathroom. Heart pounding, Alexis pulled aside the jacket collar, her eyes widening when she saw that Grimmjow had been correct. Dry blood flecked from her skin but the most prominent feature was the bite mark, which was beginning to bruise and was throbbing painfully. _'How will I explain this to Kisuke?!' _She thought with a groan. Alexis zipped up the jacket all the way but it didn't hide all of the newly bruised flesh, though it was better than having it in plain view. She slipped back into the room, glad that Reina had remained asleep; she didn't know how she would explain the mark on her neck to the young Arrancar. Alexis settled back into bed, jumping when the door creaked open and Szayel walked in. The young Cursed Being threw up her mental barriers to block Grimmjow out as the Octava advanced towards her, a tired expression on his face.

"I'm quite surprised that Reina did not wake and attack me." He mused, looking towards the mentioned fracción. The pink haired Arrancar glanced at the woman, his eyes widening a fraction when he caught a glimpse of the bruised flesh on her neck. "I'm sure you are wondering about why I am here, correct?" She nodded, wincing a little. "I've come to talk and tell you how Nnoitra is doing." Alexis didn't like the tone of his voice at all.

"I may not like him but I am curious as to why he was acting so strangely towards me at dinner." Alexis slid out of bed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You were quite lucky that Nnoitra has such a keen intuition, Alexis," Szayel pushed his glasses up. "That tea was drugged," The woman felt her heart sink at this.

"So he… he drank it…" Alexis could barely speak from the shock of what she'd been told.

"Nnoitra may be a male chauvinist but he knows better than to let another Espada's woman get drugged like that. Right now Nnoitra is resting; I was able to treat him without any serious side effects."

"When he wakes up, please tell him thank you," Alexis murmured.

"I will," Szayel nodded. "Tell me, that bruise you are trying to hide, what is it from?" Alexis sucked in a sharp breath at this. The Octava grasped her chin, tilted her head and gently unzipped the jacket to expose her throat. His gloved fingers brushed over the swollen bite mark and he murmured under his breath to himself. The woman winced at his light touch, telling the Espada that whoever had bitten her had done so quite recently and perhaps a bit roughly. "Who was it?" He demanded quietly, not releasing her chin.

"You shouldn't ask for personal information," She replied.

"Alexis, you must tell me," He bit out. "A mark like this will not fade as it has been infused with the person's reiatsu…" He stopped mid-speech and focused on the faint reiatsu coming from the wound as well as the scent. "It was Grimmjow!" He muttered shock evident in his voice. "But… how?! There is no possible way for him to have been here!"

"Through our connection," Alexis whispered. "We are still learning about it but it seems that whatever happens to us there affects our physical bodies when we part." He finally released her chin and stepped back, glancing at her curiously.

"How very interesting…" His lips twitched up into a smile, causing Alexis to take a nervous step back. "Relax, I have no interest in that little thing," He laughed. "It's not like I don't already know what it is and what it means." Alexis blushed crimson, silently cursing herself for allowing Grimmjow to mark her. "Aizen has asked that I monitor your health from now on, seeing as you were so weak after using your Hougyoku powers. He also asked that I monitor your interaction with the other Espada, he gave no details as to why."

"What does that mean exactly?" She asked, zipping her jacket back up.

"Nothing serious, I assure you. I'll just be giving you a daily check-up, just not the ones you may be used to but a check-up none the less. As for the interaction thing… I'll just be recording what you do with the other Espada is all."

"I see," Alexis got this distant look in her eyes.

"Oh my," Szayel smirked. "It would seem you miss your partner already, and you've not yet even mated." This snapped her from her daze.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"It's just something all mates go through during the first few months or so. When separated for long amounts of time, the one baring the mates mark will feel like a hole has been ripped into their soul because they can't stand to be apart. Usually this only occurs in mated pairs but I believe your case is an exception due to certain things. Cursed Pure Beings take mates much the same way as Arrancar do if I am not mistaken."

"You are correct," Alexis nodded. "Though the bite is normally different, not always on the junction between the neck and shoulder," She carefully placed a hand on her neck. "Also, Pure Beings are bonded after being bitten only once. Why is it different for the Arrancar? And why does it affect me?"

"Well, the first mark is a promise of sorts, a way to show you've been claimed and to ward off other males. The second mark is placed exactly over the first one to seal the bond; this is usually done during sexual intercourse." Alexis blushed hard again, making the Octava laugh. "Also, the second mark is given when the _female _is ready to be bound to her mate. As for why it affects you… Your Hollow powers have quite an influence over you so the way you take a mate is different than the usual tradition for your people."

"Thank you for explaining that to me, Szayel," She smiled. The Espada made not of her expressions and nodded to her. Just as he was about to speak, an uninvited guest arrived.

"Hime-chan, Aizen wants ya in th' throne room," Gin practically sang. Alexis stiffened at his words, knowing exactly what the ex-taichou wanted of her.

"I'll have her down there momentarily," Szayel told him.

"Okay," He waved and was gone. The Octava quickly bandaged her throat and escorted her to the throne room. Gin appeared again and uttered a spell, forcing Alexis back into her natural form. He gave her an apologetic smile and hurried back to Aizen's side.

"Make sure Reina stays put," A lowly Arrancar nodded and sonido'd away. Szayel retreated from her side and almost instantly her wrists were shackled and she was forced to her knees. Aizen crouched down before her and smiled darkly as another bandage wrapped Hollow was brought into the room. "Do you still refuse to cooperate, Alexis?" The woman glared at him defiantly and gritted her teeth when he pulled her to her feet by her hair. "I was truly hoping to avoid this, especially since you were so lively at dinner," Alexis continued to glare at him though her defiance and defenses were shattered as the pain seared through her chest.

**Living World**

Grimmjow felt a jolt through his body and sat rigid on the bed, his eyes widening when it happened again. He knew the feeling anywhere and he prayed that Alexis kept a hold on the barrier of their connection. The jolts began to become more painful and the Sexta began to pant, clenching a hand over his heart where most of the pain was radiating from; this was extremely painful in his gigai. Aizen must have pushed her to the limit because a few moments later, a searing flash of pain ripped through the connection and into his body, tearing a hoarse cry from the stubborn Sexta. Grimmjow crumpled to the floor with a heavy thud, alerting everyone that something was wrong. The Espada fought through the pain and managed to lock the door just before someone grasped the door knob.

"Dammit, Grimmjow, what's going on?!" He heard Ichigo through the door.

"Get the fuck away before I cero your ass through the fucking door!" He snarled, banging his fist against the wooden door. He gritted his teeth and his head suddenly snapped backwards, cracking against the thing.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Ichigo could tell that the Sexta was in some sort of distress and from the sounds of it, he was in pain. _'It's happening again,' _He thought bitterly. _'Aizen is using Alexis to create another Arrancar,' _Ichigo leaned his back against the door. Though he did not really care about the Espada, hearing him writhe in pain on the floor and hit things was slightly heart wrenching; he could only imagine what Alexis was going through in Hueco Mundo.

"Ichigo, what's going on?" Uryu asked as he appeared at the stairs. The look on his boyfriends face told the Quincy exactly what was happening behind the locked door. "We can't wait any longer; we have to go to Hueco Mundo now!"

"Head Captain Yamamoto can't spare any of his men to help us right now," Renji grunted from the door way to their right.

"Since when have I ever cared about what he had to say?" Ichigo growled at the red head. "We'll go there, with or without back-up; just not now. Grimmjow is gonna need a few days to recover from the sounds of it."

"Dad, is Uncle Grimmjow going to be okay?" All the males gasped when Haru climbed up the stairs, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "I woke up cause of his reiatsu," Uryu shot a hard glance at Ichigo who pushed himself away from the door.

"How can you sense his reiatsu, Haru? He's in his gigai," Ichigo lied to the boy. Grimmjow had left his gigai in hopes of lessening the pain.

"I've always been able to sense his reiatsu, just like I can sense yours and the others'." Haru told him innocently, reminding the man of himself as a child. "I didn't want to tell anyone cause mom would worry even more about me. I don't want her to worry," Uryu picked the child up with a sigh.

"Haru, you shouldn't keep things like that a secret from your parents, or any of us for that matter." He scolded the child lightly.

"I'm sorry," He whispered. "I know mom's always worrying about everything, I just didn't want her to worry about me, especially when Uncle Grimmjow showed up. I could always tell that mom was waiting for someone, I could see it in her eyes," Haru's silver eyes met Ichigo's tea colored orbs then. "Now I know she was waiting for Uncle Grimmjow," Ichigo smiled softly and held his arms out. Uryu handed Haru to his boyfriend and stepped back, smiling softly.

"That's quite a bit for a five year old like yourself to notice." He praised the boy, "You got my smarts, though I don't know how." He blocked out a rather colorful curse from Grimmjow.

"Mom really likes him," Haru whispered. "And he really likes mom, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, he does," Ichigo sighed. "Grimmjow would do anything for your mother, he wants her to be happy now; he doesn't want to cause her anymore pain."

"But right now mom is the one causing Uncle Grimmjow pain, isn't she?" Haru's eyes became sad as he looked at his father. As a kind of Cursed Being himself, Haru knew what was going on between Grimmjow and his mother.

"Yeah, she is but she can't stop it," Ichigo replied in a soft voice.

"I want mom to be happy," Haru sniffled, wrapping his arms around his father's neck. Ichigo glanced at Uryu and Renji, silently telling them to leave; they did so quickly.

"Once we get her back, I'm sure she'll be very happy," The Vizard whispered, hugging his son tightly. He heard the lock on the door behind him click and turned his head, listening closely.

"Oi, Berry boy, you out there?" Grimmjow panted.

"Yeah, I'm here," He replied.

"I want to see the kid," Ichigo was taken aback by this. "The brat asked me to hold him for a while," Now he understood. Ichigo opened the door and set Haru down, giving him a small nudge to walk inside.

"Its okay, Haru, go ahead," He urged. "I'll be back later," The small boy nodded and walked into the room as his father closed the door. Haru looked around until he saw Grimmjow sprawled on the bed, his breathing still heavy and labored. The Sexta motioned for him with his hand and the boy moved closer. Grimmjow sat up with some difficulty and lifted Haru onto the bed, settling the child in his lap. He'd returned to his gigai before he had unlocked the door but it did little to hide the wounds he'd received from before.

"Uncle Grimmjow, are you okay?" Haru asked touching a cut on the Espada's temple.

"Yeah, it'll take a lot more than this to do any major damage," He gave the child a lopsided grin. Haru curled himself against the Sexta's chest and clutched at the open flaps of his shirt tightly, almost as though he were afraid to let go.

"I want my mom," He sniffled, voice muffled by the Espada's chest.

"I know ya do," Grimmjow murmured, wrapping his arms around the child. "I'll bring her home soon, that's a promise." With a soft hiss, Grimmjow lay back on his side and curled himself protectively around Haru. An odd feeling welled up inside the Sexta and he felt his eyes begin to sting. Growling, he blinked several times and sighed as he looked down at the already sleeping Haru. _'Is this what it feels like?' _He thought to himself. _'Is this what it feels like to love someone so much you'd die for them? Is this what it feels like to… have a child?' _A slow smile spread across his face at the thought. He pulled Haru closer and slipped into a deep sleep, a smile still etched onto his face.

* * *

kai crazy: Cute, ne? I hope you liked this one because I became rather cruel when planning chapter 26... Anyway plz R&R and Merry Christmas... Again!


	26. Submission

kai crazy: Okay, here's chapter 26! Forgive me if there are any errors that I missed. This was originally typed on my new laptop and I unfortunately do not have spell check so I had to transfer it to the big computer and fix stuff. But I probably didn't catch it all, gomen nasai! Anway, this chapter is kinda sad.... and a bit horny on Grimmjow's part lol.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, Tite Kubo does.

Claimer: I own Alexis, Lexis, Haru, and Ryuhime.

"..." Normal speech.

_'...' _Normal thoughts/Dream thoughts

_"..." _Connection thoughts

**_"..." _**Inner Hollow

* * *

Alexis pressed a hand to her head as she sat up, wincing as her body screamed in protest at the movement.

"Reina...?" She called out, her voice raw from screaming.

"Oh, you're awake," Alexis stiffened at the smooth voice. "I was afraid you would never wake up, Aizen sat on the bed beside her and felt her forehead. "It would seem I pushed your power too far."

"How long was I asleep for?" Alexis asked, brushing his hand away.

"Nearly a week, my dear," The woman's eyes widened and her breath hitched. "You very nearly slipped into a coma, Szayel and Ulquiorra pulled you away before anything serious happened. Don't worry, they were not punished," He chuckled when he saw her panicked expression. "You should lie back down and rest, your body still needs to recover." Alexis caught a glimpse of his other, bandaged hand and grinned mentally. Damn bastard deserved that one.

"Why am I here?" Alexis questioned as she settled back against the plush pillows.

"It was the closest room we could get you into, I hope you understand." He smiled and stroked her cheek with his knuckles. Alexis jerked back and averted her eyes from the brunette. She would not deny that Aizen was rather attractive but he would never hold a candle to Grimmjow. "Tell me, Hime, what is this bandage around your neck for? I did not look as I knew it would upset you if I had," Before Alexis could even blink, Aizen had his fingers wrapped around her jaw and her head was tilted to the side.

"It's just a bruise, Aizen-sama," She stammered feeling the fingers of his free hand gently prod the bandaged flesh. "I accidently fell against something in my room; I'm quite a ditz as I've been told." The ex-taichou seemed to believe her. He moved his hand away and leaned in, allowing his breath to ghost over her cheek.

"Perhaps I should keep you under much closer surveillance, to ensure you do not harm yourself again." Alexis squirmed under him as he pressed his lips to her jaw line. He immediately drew back when a very angry aura snapped out at him. "How interesting," His lips twitched up in a slight smile. "Would you like something to drink?" He sat up and grabbed a tea cup, offering it to her but then drawing it back when she reached for it. Alexis gave him a confused look and opened her mouth to ask him what was wrong when he crushed his mouth against hers.

'_What the hell?!' _Alexis screamed to herself. Aizen placed the cup down and moved to hold the thrashing woman down. Alexis felt the ex-taichou force her mouth open and nearly gagged when a warm liquid flowed into her own mouth. Aizen kept his lips pressed against hers as his hand messaged her throat, forcing her to swallow the liquid. The woman pulled away and sputtered, tears streaming down her cheeks, her Hollow eye flashing angrily.

"Ulquiorra," He called, crawling off the frightened woman.

"Yes, Aizen-sama?" Said Espada bowed as he entered the room.

"Please, take Alexis back to her room," He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. The Cuatro bowed again and hurried to gather Alexis into his arms. He left hurriedly, not liking the tears falling from the woman's eyes nor the confused reiatsu emitting from her body.

"Alexis-sama, I was so worried about you!" Reina sobbed when Ulquiorra slipped into the room along with Stark, Halibel, Szayel, and Lilynette. The Octava immediately began to check the woman over once Ulquiorra set her on the bed and stepped back. Lilynette and Reina sat on the couch, with the smaller of the two comforting the frightened and relieved fracción.

"She's fine at the moment," Szayel finally announced once he'd gotten Alexis to fall asleep. "I believe we should take turns monitoring her, just in case Aizen somehow managed to do something to her." He looked over at the blue haired female then. "Reina, as her fracción, you will have the first watch. Report anything unusual to me, Halibel, Stark or Ulquiorra, understand?" She nodded and the four Espada, plus Lilynette, left locking the door as they did so. Reina silently watched over her slumbering mistress, unaware of the internal struggle she was now facing.

XxXxXx

'_Alexis...' The woman spun around, heart pounding as her wide eyes darted about the darkness that had engulfed her mind and heart. 'Alexis...' Her breathing became ragged, frightened pants as she whirled around. She backed up, her eyes still darting about wildly as she did so and gave a sudden, terrified cry when she felt hands on her arms. She whipped around only to be greeted by the mocking darkness._

'_I don't ever wanna see you again!' Alexis turned around slowly and saw Grimmjow walking away from her. She tried to follow him but something held her back and forced her to collapse to her knees._

'_Grimmjow?!' She called reaching out to him. He continued walking; only turning his head to look at her with a sadistic smile._

'_You're so pathetic,' He laughed. 'You can't even protect yourself, let alone your own son,' Haru appeared by the Sexta's side, his hands clutching at the material of his hakama pants. The pair began to disappear from her sight as she desperately tried calling to them._

'_Come back! Grimmjow!' It hurt to yell, her throat was becoming constricted from the sobs forcing their way out. 'GRIMMJOW! COME BACK!' She collapsed onto her stomach and sobbed into her arms. 'Please, come back,' She continued to sob to herself, her only company being the darkness around her. She gasped when a warm hand pressed against her back and she sat up, eyes widening when she met the intruders gaze._

'_Alexis, crying does not suit you,' He smiled down at her. The woman's breathing became frightened gasps again and her whole body began to tremble when she realized she couldn't move. 'What will you do now? You've been abandoned by your lover and your own son.'_

'_How do you know about Haru?' She demanded, trying and failing to hide her fear._

'_Kyoka Suigetsu took a peek at your memories,' Tears streamed down her cheeks. She knew what it meant for her if she didn't comply with Aizen now... He could easily use Haru against her; threaten his life to force her into submission._

'_They will never abandon me,' She argued through her sobs. Aizen merely smiled down at her and her sobs became louder as did her cries of denial._

'_I will never abandon you,' The ex-taichou knelt down and drew the woman close. 'I can protect you from now on,' Alexis found herself clutching at Aizen's robes. 'All you have to do is agree to serve me,' His intoxicating voice floated into her ear and immediately Alexis felt a stab of pain through her head. Aizen held her as she squirmed, the pain now radiating through her entire body. 'All you have to say is yes and the pain will stop,' He whispered to her._

'_N-no, I will never serve you!' She sobbed, clutching at his robes tightly. The pain worsened and she twisted out of his grasp, landing on her back with a cry. Aizen merely pinned her wrists down as she twisted about, sobbing loudly and trying to get free._

'_One little word, Alexis-hime, that's all it will take,' His voice flowed into her body like a slow poison that began to cloud her senses and judgment._

'_Yes, please just make it stop!' She sobbed arching off the ground. A slow smile spread over Aizen's face and he released her wrists. Alexis lay still and cried out as she felt her soul being chained. She fell silent after a moment, her eyes blank and her breathing heavy._

'_I knew you would see things my way,' He chuckled as he faded into the darkness. Alexis was swallowed by the darkness and wrapped in it like a cocoon. She wanted to escape but it felt so safe and familiar to her that she decided against it._

'_Grimmjow...' She thought as a single tear rolled down her cheek. This was her final thought before her mind went blank, engulfed by the rapidly growing darkness. From outside the cocoon, Lexis appeared, the stark contrast of her clothing clashing with the heavy darkness around her._

'_**I guess you're still weak, Queen,' **__She sighed. __**'If Aizen has gotten his claws into you, then it's all over now. I'm sorry, Queen, there is nothing I or Ryuhime can do for you, we'll be chained up soon enough.'**__ She faded away sadly._

**3 Days later, Living World**

Grimmjow roared angrily as he smashed anything and everything around him in the underground training room. It had been nearly two weeks since he'd last made contact with Alexis and about three days ago, her mind had become completely blocked from him. To make matters worse, he had sensed Aizen near his soon-to-be mate the very same day her mind became blocked. He knew Aizen had a hand in whatever had happened and Grimmjow didn't like it one bit.

"Dammit all to fucking hell!" His reiatsu began to crack the ground as he continued to destroy everything in sight. Haru whimpered and buried his face in his father's neck; Grimmjow's destructive mood was setting everyone's nerves on edge.

"Ichigo, there is nothing you can do for him right now," Urahara sighed, appearing next to him. The Vizard could sense the man's tension and knew he'd been losing sleep over the matter as well. He'd long since learned to block the pain Alexis felt but in the recent days, even his control had been shattered, forcing him to retreat to his private rooms until it passed.

"I don't know much about your connection with Alexis but I know enough to realize that something is horribly wrong; especially if Grimmjow is on a rampage like this." Ichigo looked into Urahara's red-rimmed eyes as he shifted Haru in his arms.

"I'll admit that the pain has gotten worse, as you already know by now." Ichigo nodded, he didn't need any further explanation on that subject. "But as you said, something is very wrong. About three days ago, Alexis' mind and soul became completely blocked from the both of us. It's rather frustrating, especially since we don't know how or why it happened."

"I follow you so far but why is Grimmjow so out of control? I don't get it," A loud explosion was heard below as the Espada unleashed a powerful cero.

"Well, Alexis is his woman after all, Ichigo," A knowing smile graced his lips. He knew far more than Grimmjow thought he did, including that little stunt he'd pulled about a week ago. "Leave him be for now, he'll eventually exhaust himself," Urahara began to stagger away followed by a chuckling Ichigo.

'_The guy has a helluva lot of stamina, it could be a while,' _He shook his head, an amused smile on his face as he sat down for tea, settling Haru beside him.

XxXxXx

Grimmjow let out an exasperated sigh as he fell back on the hard ground, his whole body throbbing in pain and exhaustion. He blinked hard as his vision became fuzzy and finally just shut his eyes, still breathing heavily from his fit.

'_Dammit, brat, talk to me,' _He tried reaching out and was sadly met with the same wall of darkness that had shown up each time he tried. The Sexta gave up and lay still, covering his eyes with a bloody forearm. _'I should just go and fucking infiltrate Las Noches,' _He thought angrily. His mind ran all the possible scenarios and none of them were ones he liked as most involved Aizen using him against Alexis or Aizen killing Alexis as Grimmjow tried to escape with her. _'Fuck, why can't it ever go my way?' _He let out a frustrated growl and removed his arm from his eyes. He allowed his exhausted body to relax and his frantic mind to wander. The Sexta sucked in a sharp breath as he conjured up an image of Alexis in his mind and replayed her words to himself; the words she'd told him the day Aizen kidnapped her.

'_I'm gonna fucking kill Aizen,' _He thought as he drifted to sleep. He'd been sleeping a lot lately; perhaps it had something to do with his extended stay in the Living World...

**Grimmjow's P.O.V (Dream scape)**

_Berry boy and them were keeping that fucker Aizen busy while I searched for the brat. But damn, she was one hell of a hard woman to find! I heard her voice ring out in my mind and stopped, whipping around and staring intensely at the door down the hall to my right. Not wasting any time, I sonido'd down the hall and stopped outside the door. I pressed my hand to it and focused; she was definitely in there. I took hold of the door handle and turned it, grinning when I found it open. I pushed the door open and slipped inside, shutting the door behind me quietly. The brat must've sensed my presence because she whirled around and gasped, tears in her eyes._

'_Grimmjow...?' She put a hand over her mouth as she began to cry. I just grinned at her, my hands in my pockets as I stood in my usual stance; I would let her come to me. 'Grimmjow!' As I expected, the brat began to run towards me, tears streaming down her cheeks. She flung herself at me, her arms around my neck and my arms wrapping around her waist. 'You came for me!' She sobbed against my neck._

'_Of course I did, brat,' I growled into her hair. 'I'm a man of my word,' She pulled back and I crushed my mouth against hers._

'_We should leave, Grimmjow,' She whispered breathlessly against my lips. I remembered the scenarios and growled at her._

'_No, we have to stay here, it's too dangerous,' She didn't argue, which pleased me. I shifted her body and carried her to the bed bridal style, dumping her unceremoniously on the thing. She let out an undignified squeak and looked up at me with a glare._

'_Jerk,' She muttered under her breath._

'_Cry-baby,' I retorted quietly. I grinned down at her, knowing I would win this staring contest she had started. I knew this was only a dream but still, the brat looked even more vulnerable than usual and her uniform was looking very, very nice on her. I groaned to myself then, knowing I wouldn't be able to resist screwing the brat in the next few minutes._

'_Are you okay?' She asked, drawing my attention back to her face. Fuck, I don't care if this is a dream; all I know is that I want her. Now! Before she could speak again, I pounced, trapping her small body under my much larger one. I captured her lips in a rough kiss as my hands ran over her body freely; earning gasps and moans that sent electricity coursing through my veins._

'_Shit, brat, do you realize how much I want you?' I panted between kisses. Her only response was a low moan as I pulled her body closer to mine and ground my hips against her. I fisted a hand in her hair and tugged, my mouth immediately attaching to her exposed throat. I could feel all the blood rushing to my groin and moaned against the brat's throat. My free hand found its way under her jacket, making her gasp as my fingertips touched the underside of her breast._

'_Grimmjow...' Oh shit, the way she just sighed my name out.... it sounded so fucking good! Now if I could only get her to scream my name..._

'_Fuck, this is coming off right now!' I released her hair and yanked the jacket zipper down. My smirk immediately faded as the scene shifted and in my arms was the brat, covered in blood._

'_You said you would... protect me...' Blood trickled from her mouth. My breathing grew ragged, my eyes bulging as I stared down at her battered body in my lap._

'_What's happening?' I growled weakly, blinking away the darkness that danced along the edge of my vision. 'Dammit, brat, you can't fucking die on me! I may have fucking promised to protect you but you fucking promised to keep living! I kept my end of the fucking deal, now you keep yours!' Blood began to pool around me, soaking through my pants to stain my skin. 'Don't you do this to me dammit!' I finally blacked out. From what? I'm not sure but whatever it was, it made me feel so damn empty..._

**Normal P.O.V**

Grimmjow awoke with a sharp gasp, his body arching off the ground for a moment before falling back with a thump. He immediately reached through the connection, relaxing when that shield of darkness blocked him from what was his.

'_That is the last fucking time I fall asleep,' _He thought bitterly. He didn't have to look to know his erection had deflated, though he prayed that no one had tried to disturb him earlier and accidently seen his arousal. With a growl, Grimmjow sat up and clutched at his head, blinking against the wave of dizziness that hit him upon doing so. The Sexta got to his feet and sauntered away, back up into the shop where he was greeted by silence and worried glances. "Stop your damn staring," He hissed at them, thanking Kami that Haru was not in the room. "I'll be fine," With that he retrieved his gigai and walked off once more.

"Where are you going, Grimmjow?" Ichigo asked as he left the shop.

"For a walk to clear my damn head," He grunted, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Don't stay out too long, we'll be having dinner soon and Haru will get worried," Grimmjow sighed at this.

"Tell the kid not to worry, I'll be back soon," He murmured before hurrying away. He had to go somewhere, he couldn't stay at the shop any longer, he felt as though he were going to go insane if he remained their any longer. He looked up at the dark sky and scoffed to himself, _'Even the heavens weep for you.' _He thought as he continued onward. In a few days time, at the end of the week, they would be going to Hueco Mundo to rescue Alexis. And this was something Grimmjow couldn't wait for.

* * *

kai crazy: I hope you liked this one! Plz R&R


	27. As We Prepare for Battle

kai crazy: Sorry this took so long to update, my brain didn't want to work at all. Again, if I missed something, please do tell me, it would be helpful. Also, beware, this chapter might be a little sad...

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, its characters or it's lines for that matter, Tite Kubo does.

Claimer: I do own Alexis, Lexis, Haru and Ryuhime.

"..." Normal speech

_'...' _Normal thoughts/ dream thoughts

_"..." _Connection thoughts

**_"..." _**Inner Hollow

* * *

It was finally the night before they would be going to Hueco Mundo to rescue Alexis and everyone was trying to get some sleep. Grimmjow lay in his room, his hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling, or rather glared at it. He still had not had any luck in contacting Alexis and it was really frustrating, not knowing what was happening to _his _woman. The only thing that allowed him to know she was still alive was the small ripples of pain that spread through his body whenever Aizen forced her to create an Arrancar, but what bothered him was her sudden control over the barriers.... But he knew she wasn't the one responsible for that. It was that layer of darkness that blocked him and Urahara out that prevented most of the pain from reaching them. Grimmjow couldn't really complain though since he no longer had to suffer from the random attacks but at the same time he hated it. That pain was his only reminder of what they had together and why he was sworn to protect her. Without it, he felt somewhat empty, like a piece of him had been torn away.... he almost felt hollow inside again.

The Sexta gave a frustrated sigh and rolled onto his side, his arm going under the pillow to add extra support for his head and neck while his other arm rested partially on his side, his hand lightly touching the bed. He looked up at the sky through the window, his eyes trained on the hazy outline of the full moon. He knew that in Hueco Mundo, the sky would be dark, the moon hidden; after all it was the opposite of the Living World. He closed his eyes and thought back to five years ago, when Alexis had been brought to Las Noches and placed in his care.

**Flashback**

_Grimmjow opened his eyes from his little nap to find Alexis missing from the bed. He looked around and found her sitting on the window sill; she'd pulled up a chair to get on it. He smirked a little at this; he would have to tease her about it later._

_'Oi, brat, what are you doing?' He growled loud enough for her to hear. The teen jumped a little and looked at him, wide eyed._

_'Just-just looking at the moon is all,' She told him in a soft voice. She looked back outside, a small smile on her face. 'It's so big and bright here and you can see it so clearly. Back home, the sky is a little hazy from the smog and sometimes you can't even see the stars because of all the lights in the city.' She smiled a little more. 'It's so easy to just lose yourself in its light and let yourself relax.' Grimmjow had shut his eyes before but now opened them. His own eyes softened a little when he saw Alexis, her face seemed so serene and calm, and there was no trace of her earlier fear. The Sexta studied her then, while she was busy staring up at the moon._

_Her body was bathed in the moons silvery light, her skin glowing slightly where ever the light touched her exposed flesh. She seemed so much more delicate than she really was and so very, very innocent as she sat there. Her lavender tinted hair shone pure silver in the moonlight and her gold Hollow eye seemed like molten gold as it was the side she had facing him. His clothes, though they hung on her, almost seemed to hug her delicate body in all the right places. He could see where the slight 'v' of her hips dipped into the hakama pants and the enticing curve of said hips was very visible. She had unzipped the jacket a little to give her neck more movement and if he wanted to, he could stand up, crane his neck and see the shadow that more than likely disappeared into the soft curve of her breasts._

_When Grimmjow looked again, he saw that Alexis had fallen asleep on the window sill and sighed as he got up. He lifted her up and brought her back to the bed, his face a neutral mask as he covered her small form with the blanket. He would have to remember to try looking up at the moon with her sometime, maybe it would help calm his nerves which were always on edge...._

**End Flashback**

Grimmjow smirked a little at the memory; it was one of his favorites of Alexis. The other being when she accidently poured an entire bottle of bath gel into the bath and nearly buried herself in bubbles. Though that one had been a bit embarrassing for the both of them.

**Flashback**

_Grimmjow groaned when he picked up the scent of his blueberry bath gel from the bathroom. That brat had to learn to keep her hands off of his stuff! He heard a yelp and snorted lightly, the idiot had probably slipped and fallen on her ass again; served her right. He didn't hear her whine and was suddenly very anxious. He finally got up and stalked over to the bathroom, shoving the door open only to have his nose assaulted by the strong scent of blueberries. His eyes widened when he saw the bathtub overflowing with bubbles but there was no sign of Alexis._

_'Brat, where the fuck are you?' He growled in an annoyed voice. He heard a muffled reply and sighed as he threw his jacket off and stalked over to where he thought the edge of the tub was. He was mistaken. His bare feet slipped on the floor and he fell head first into the mess of bubbles and hot water. Grimmjow could barely find his way back up as he kept slipping whenever he got a hold on something but he finally was able to flip over and sit up. The Sexta felt something touch his chest and angrily swatted at the bubbles until a familiar face was seen through them._

_'Gr-Grimmjow?!' Alexis nearly screeched when she saw the Espada._

_'You are going to be the fucking death of me!' He snarled at her. He forced her to get out of the bath, her face beet red as she did so. Luckily the bubbles clung to her body so Grimmjow didn't really see anything. The Sexta got out and lost his footing on the slippery floor. He fell backwards and in the process knocked Alexis over with him, though she fell forwards since he hit her legs at a strange angle. The woman felt her whole body turn red when she looked down at the Espada, she was entirely naked and laying on top of him! Grimmjow swore to himself and opened his eyes, swearing even more when he saw Alexis. 'You okay?' He moved his hand to touch her back and was taken by surprise when she punched him._

_'Pervert!' She cried, jumping up and wrapping a towel around her body. She grabbed her clothes and stalked out of the room, her face bright red. Grimmjow groaned and let his head hit the floor, he'd just had Alexis on him.... Naked! On the other hand, he'd gotten a feel of how her body felt against his and he had to say, it felt nice._

**End Flashback**

Grimmjow sighed and closed his eyes, wanting to get some rest, tomorrow was going to be a very long and very tough day. His mind ran wild as he was slowly embraced by the darkness of sleep...

**Dream World**

_Grimmjow had Alexis alone, she was trapped and she knew it. The Sexta advanced on her slowly, a twisted smile adorning his lips as he moved towards her, his eyes dancing in delight. He slammed his hands against the wall near her head and she flinched away from him, but when she looked up, Grimmjow saw that small spark of defiance he had always wanted to see._

_'Do not touch me, Grimmjow,' She told him in a stern voice. The Espada let out a bark of laughter and for a split second, that spark disappeared, though it was quick to return._

_'What will happen if I touch you?' He taunted her, leaning down so he was barely an inch away from her._

_'I'll take your power, weaken you and run,' She told him, raising her chin defiantly._

_'I'd like to see you try,' Grimmjow covered her mouth with his before she could retort. She resisted him for only a moment before giving in and kissing him back, though she was hesitant and unsure of herself. The Sexta moved his hands and grabbed hers, lacing their fingers as he brought her hands up above her head a little, pinning her there. 'What happened to your little threat, Princesa?' He growled against her lips._

_'Grimm...' She panted, eyes clouding over. The Espada grinned and kissed her hard, running his tongue along her lower lip, begging for permission. Alexis opened her mouth and groaned when his tongue invaded the sweet cavern, exploring everything. Grimmjow loved how she reacted to everything he did, she was so innocent... he fucking loved it! He hooked one leg around her own and roughly pulled her closer, earning a low groan from the woman. He moved from her mouth to her neck and kissed the flesh feverously, nipping to tear small whimpers from his woman._

_'I'm waiting, Princesa,' He teased, nibbling at her jaw. She was apparently too caught up with what Grimmjow was doing to answer so he took that as his signal to continue. He let go of her hand for a split second, tugged her jacket open, and grasped her hand again before she could try to react or protest. In the next minute, Grimmjow had her pinned beneath him on the bed, her body bare and flushed as he touched her most intimate parts. Just as he was about to take her, the dream ended..._

**Reality**

When Grimmjow awoke, he thought for sure he'd only slept a little more than an hour but when he looked at the clock, it told him much more differently. It was 5:30 am; he'd slept the entire night and rather peacefully at that. Well, except for the morning wood he now sported, he was well rested and ready to take on anything and anyone.

_'Better go take a fucking shower and take care of my problem,' _He thought as he threw the covers back. He hopped out of bed, grabbed his Arrancar uniform and slipped into the bathroom. He quickly relieved himself and washed up, letting his muscles relax and ready themselves for the fight to come. He shut the water off, got out, slipped out of his gigai and dressed. He took his time styling his hair and dragged the limp gigai out of the room, it would return to its other form shortly. Szayel had created it special; it was different from the ones the shinigami used as they changed into a small capsule when not in use or when a Mod Soul was not operating it. Once that happened, Grimmjow placed the capsule in its case and left it on the dresser as he slid Pantera into its place on his hip. He sat on the edge of his bed with his elbows resting on his knees, fingers twined and his chin resting on his twined fingers.

Finally, someone knocked on the door and he stood, his face twisted into one of seriousness as the person entered.

"You ready?" Ichigo asked, already in his shinigami form.

"I've been ready," Grimmjow answered in a dangerously low voice. The Sexta exited the room and shut the door but he looked at Ichigo strangely, almost as though he were going to ask something.

"Haru is already up, he's waiting," Ichigo told him, answering the unspoken question. The pair walked downstairs to find most of the others waiting along with a wide eyed Haru. He had never seen everyone in their other forms, Grimmjow was fairly sure the kid was a little scared of his appearance.

"It's time," Urahara announced, standing behind a chair. "We will infiltrate Las Noches according to plan and rescue Alexis from Aizen. I will not go with you but I will be able to contact you through Yoruichi and Grimmjow," The two mentioned people nodded at this. "Be at the shop in thirty minutes," And with that, he was gone. Grimmjow motioned for Haru to come to him and the boy obeyed, though his eyes were wide and he was hesitant.

"Yeah, I know, I look different but this is what I look like outside of my gigai," He sighed, crouching down to look at the boy.

"Will you be okay?" He asked, his voice a whisper. Grimmjow sighed again, he was like his mother in that sense, always worried about someone instead of herself.

"I ain't an Espada for nothing, kid," He smirked. "I'll be fine and so will the others," He ruffled his hair earning a signature Ichigo scowl from the little boy.

"When you come back, you'll have mom, right?" He asked his voice strong with no hesitance in it.

"You bet we will," Grimmjow nodded. "And Aizen will no longer be alive," Haru nodded to him and Grimmjow surprised everyone by giving the child a hug. "I'm sure your mother would tell you this but since she ain't here, I'll say it. Behave for Urahara," Haru giggled as Grimmjow released him. The Sexta stood up and looked around the dimly lit room. "Let's get moving!" Everyone nodded and left the house with Haru clinging to Ichigo as they rushed to the shop. When they arrived, Urahara had the garganta open and ready for them all, though Grimmjow would be taking his own way there.

"Hey, before we all go, let's do a chant," Renji suggested. Ichigo and the group nodded, they had done one on their first trip to Hueco Mundo five years ago and this battle certainly called for one.

"Grimmjow, get over here!" Ichigo called to him. The Sexta scowled and made his way over to the mixed group of humans, shinigami, and the lone Quincy.

"Everyone, put your hands in the middle," Renji said as he stuck his hand out. Rukia, Orihime, Hitsugaya, Rangiku, Yoruichi, Uryu, Chad, Ichigo and even Urahara placed their hands on top of his. They all looked at Grimmjow who rolled his eyes and placed his hand on the very top.

"You do the honors, Abarai," Hitsugaya told him earning a nod.

"We! At this moment head into the decisive battle! Have faith that our blades will not shatter, have faith that our hearts will not waver! And even if our paths should diverge, we all share a heart of iron!! Swear that even if the ground beneath us should be rent asunder, we will live and return to this place alive!!!" They all pushed their hands down and turned, going their separate ways.

_'I swear, I will get you back!' _Grimmjow thought as he opened his own garganta and stepped through. He didn't look back as it began to close but if he had, he would have seen Haru wishing him good luck and crying just like his mother would have.

* * *

kai crazy: Yes, you should recognize the chant from the HM arc of Bleach, if you don't.... shame on you XD Anyway, I hope you like it, only three chapters left! Plz R&R


	28. Shock

kai crazy: Sorry for the late update! I've been busy with school, color guard and a new liking of the GrimmIchi, GrimmUlqui and HichiIchi fandoms. Anyway, enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

Claimer: I do own Alexis, Lexis, Ryuhime and Haru.

"..." Normal speech

_'...' _Normal thoughts/dream thoughts

_"..."_ Connection thoughts

**_"..."_** Inner Hollow

* * *

Reina cast her mistress a worried glance when she suddenly groaned and turned in her sleep. She had been asleep for a while now, ever since she returned from the throne room earlier but something was off and Reina didn't like it. She'd noticed a change in her mistress the day after she came back from Aizen's private rooms, almost like something was missing from her.

"Grimm.....jow...." Reina's head snapped up and her eyes widened. This was the first time she'd heard Alexis speak in nearly a week and she had called out a name. Almost immediately though, a surge of pain swept through the woman's body. Reina merely watched, she knew she couldn't get close without Alexis waking up and firing a cero or energy burst at her; that was another thing she had noticed. Alexis' eyes had seemed blank and devoid of life when she had awoken that day she was returned to her room and Reina had felt a chill run down her spine. She could almost see Aizen looming over the poor woman with strings attatched to her body like a puppet that he now controlled. It had frightened the young fraccion. A knock on the door startled Reina from her thoughts and she took up her usual defensive position at the foot of Alexis' bed.

"She's still asleep?" Reina relaxed when she heard Szayel's voice. The Octava entered the room swiftly, followed by Ulquiorra, Hallibel, Stark, Lilynette, Nnoitra, and Tesla. Reina was shocked to see them to say the least.

"It is almost time," Ulquiorra sighed standing closer to the bed than any of the other Espada and fraccion in the room. "They are coming."

"Who.... is coming?" Reina questioned. She had been with Alexis since her return and had not been told anything by any of the Espada.

"Kurosaki Ichigo and his group," Szayel answered quietly. "The other Espada already know the plan and so they stayed behind in their palaces so as not to draw attention to those of us who came here."

"Aizen may or may not trust us entirely but either way, he expects us to fight the intruders," Hallibel spoke in a soft voice.

"We will but we will have to tell them to play along," Nnoitra snorted. "We'll make it look as real as we can without raising any suspicion from the damn bastard."

"I see," Reina was still confused. "What will I do?"

"You will remain here with me until Grimmjow arrives," Ulquiorra replied.

"Yes, sir," Reina bowed to him.

"Alright, it's show time everyone," Szayel chuckled. The Espada and their fraccion left leaving Ulquiorra alone with Reina and Alexis.

"Grimmjow will be furious when he arrives," Ulquiorra spoke so suddenly that Reina jumped.

"Why will he be furious, Ulquiorra-sama?" Reina inquired curiously.

"You may have noticed that the scent of her Guardian, Grimmjow, was stronger than before the day she was taken to the throne room." Ulquiorra began quietly. "She was marked as his through their connection. I myself do not understand how it happened, only Alexis herself would be able to answer that." Reina's eyes had widened by then, her mouth open in shock. Her mistress was.... she had been _claimed_!

"But, what does it have to do with him being furious?"

"He's been blocked off from her," Ulquiorra stated simply. "Whatever Aizen did to her, blocked their connection, making it impossible for him to contact her and vise versa."

"Oh, now I see," Reina was suddenly fearing for her life. If Alexis' chosen Guardian and lover was as strong as she had been told than she could only imagine what would happen if he barged in with such fury.

XxXxXx

_"I got a lock on her scent," _Grimmjow growled to Urahara through the connection. Since they were both Guardians, they had a subtle connection to each other should they ever need to communicate in battle or in times of need.

_"Then you may proceed," _Urahara replied. _"Is Ichigo with you as planned?" _

_"Yeah, he's here," _Grimmjow huffed.

_"Then go," _Urahara cut off after that. Grimmjow motioned to Ichigo who nodded and followed the Sexta as they made their way through Las Noches. They had yet to encounter any of the Arrancar or Espada, which raised suspicion within them both. Surely Aizen was not foolish enough to leave his prize unprotected? It wasn't long before they realized they were going in circles and the Sexta let out a frustrated roar, someone was fucking with the hallways again!

"Well now, look at wha' I found," Grimmjow knew that voice anywhere. He spun around just as Ichigo did and they both growled at the silver haired shinigami. "Now, now, let's not be angry," He teased them.

"What the fuck do you want, Ichimaru?!" Grimmjow snarled, his hand resting on Pantera's hilt.

"Nothin' more than ta help ya find yer Hime," He smiled at them when the Sexta's face contorted in confusion. "I don' exactly agree wit' wha' Aizen has been doin' ta her an' I thought it'd be nice if I helped ya get her back."

"What's the deal, Gin?" Ichigo demanded. "You work for Aizen, why would you help us?"

"Like I said, I don' approve of how th' Hime has been treated as of late," He restated his previous words. "Besides, ya are th' only one tha' can break th' spell over her."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Grimmjow narrowed his eyes.

"She's trapped inside Kyoka Suigetsu's illusion," Ichigo's eyes widened and Grimmjow swore loudly. "She thinks ya don' want her anymore."

"I'll fucking kill that bastard!" Grimmjow roared, his reiatsu flaring dangerously.

"I'll take ya ta her," Gin smiled and turned, leading the way.

"He's our only chance of getting to her," Ichigo murmured under his breath when the Sexta looked at him. He gave a reluctant nod and they followed the fox-faced shinigami through the shifting halls. Miraculously, they made it to where Alexis' was being held with ease thanks to Gin and for once, Ichigo couldn't bring himself to say anything, nor could Grimmjow. Both their faces darkened when they felt Ulquiorra's reiatsu flare from inside the room as well as a weaker, less recognizable reiatsu.

"Shall I stay? Or would ya rather I left?" Gin asked them, his hands hidden inside his sleeves.

"Do whatever the fuck you want, Ichimaru," Grimmjow snarled, his reiatsu beginning to rise to dangerous levels, as though challenging the Espada behind the door. Gin merely smiled and nodded for them to advance into the room. Grimmjow began to charge a cero and Ichigo rolled his eyes as he stepped forward and shoved the door open. "You should've just let me blast the fucking thing," He growled earning a smirk. The two entered the room only to have Ulquiorra's reiatsu roll over them in powerful waves.

"Welcome back, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez," Ulquiorra greeted when they stepped into the room. Gin smiled and disappeared, not wanting to be caught in any kind of crossfire. "If you will, please close the door," Ichigo gave him a blank look, Zangetsu already drawn.

"What the hell, Ulquiorra?" Grimmjow sneered at him.

"Just do as I say," His eyes shifted to Alexis who lay still on the bed. Ichigo immediately closed the door and looked back at Ulquiorra, his body still tensed. "I was wondering if you would ever reach this place, trash," He sighed, enraging the Sexta. "Honestly, do you always keep your woman waiting? Like you did for five whole years?"

"Not my damn fault someone was fucking with the hallways," He snorted, relaxing his muscles. Ulquiorra let up on his reiatsu and sighed softly as he looked at the pair.

"We Espada swore to protect Alexis until your return and we have done the best we can without raising suspicion." Grimmjow nodded in a sort of thanks. "He believes us to be loyal to him but we never were to begin with."

"That's a lot coming from you, Ulquiorra," Grimmjow snickered.

"He expects us to fight you and your group," He continued, ignoring the Sexta's comment. "We will make them as real as possible of course, but in the end they are nothing but perhaps sparring matches."

"Sounds good enough to me," Ichigo smirked, resting Zangetsu on his shoulder. Ulquiorra suddenly sonido'd in front of him, his fist drawn back and swung.

"Dodge," He muttered, locking eyes with the man. Ichigo nodded and shifted to the left, dodging so Ulquiorra's fist embedded itself in the wall where his head would have been.

"Grimmjow, get to Alexis!" Ichigo called out as he and the Cuatro exchanged weak blows. The teal haired Espada nodded and walked towards the bed, glancing at Reina as he did so. The blue haired female shrank back from him when she finally realized who he was. This was Alexis's Guardian and lover.... Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. He walked around the bed and leaned over her, grasping her shoulders lightly to shake her.

"Hey, brat, open your eyes, it's me," He whispered to her, stroking her cheek with his knuckles. Alexis' eyes began to flutter and she groaned softly as her eyes opened fully.

"Grimmjow....?" She questioned, blinking a few times to clear the haze from her vision. "Grimmjow!" She sat up and threw her arms around his neck. "You came for me!"

"Of course I did," He snorted, wrapping one arm around her waist. "I'm a man of my word," He buried his nose in her hair, inhaling her scent to sooth him. Reina was shaking by then, this was not right at all. Something was very wrong, Aizen would not relinquish control over such a rare creature so easily...

"Reina, come here," Ulquiorra called, pausing his 'battle' with Ichigo. The woman bolted to his side then, "I leave her in your care, Sexta." He spoke to Grimmjow then. "We will continue our fight elsewhere with Reina," Grimmjow nodded and the small group was suddenly gone. The Sexta had entirely forgotten Gin's words about Alexis being influenced by Kyoka Suigetsu and laid the woman down. He removed Pantera from his hip and placed it against the wall before crawling over Alexis, her arms immediately wrapping around his neck.

"You had me worried, brat," He murmured, looking down at her. Just as she was about to speak, Grimmjow did something she never expected; he gave her the most gentle kiss in the world.

"I'm sorry, Grimmjow," She whispered against his lips when he pulled away. "I didn't mean to," The Espada grasped both her hands in his and laced their fingers as he bent down and captured her lips in another soft, passion filled kiss. He pulled her hands up above her head and grasped her wrists in one hand as he continued to ravish her lips.

"I don't give a fuck if we are in enemy territory," He growled between kisses. "I'm taking what's mine," His fingers caught the zipper of her jacket and yanked it down. He cupped her breast through her bra and kissed her hard as his hand moved to her back to unclasp the thing.

"It's in the front, jerk," She teased when he pulled back.

"I knew that," He snorted. Almost instantly, the clasp was undone and he shoved the flimsy thing away from her breasts, baring them to his lust filled gaze. Cupping her right breast in his hand, he bent down and pressed his lips to the scars on the left side of her chest. Alexis arched up with a gasp when he nipped at the soft flesh and teasingly flicked his tongue over a hardening nipple. A short wave of pain swept through her and a darkly seductive voice whispered in her mind just as Grimmjow pulled a nipple into his hot mouth.

_'Time to sleep,' _Alexis tried to fight it but whatever it was, it overpowered her. Grimmjow jerked back when he felt a wave of dark reiatsu pulse through the woman's body. He narrowed his eyes and fixed her clothing before grabbing Pantera. He jumped away as she sat up, her eyes blank and got off the bed, her movements stiff and robotic. Her eyes may have been blank but within their depths, he could see Aizen... taunting him. Alexis held her hand out and summoned Ryuhime to her open palm.

"Now, descend upon the land and bring them to their knee's! Ryuhime!" She was engulfed in a whirlwind of reiatsu that destoryed nearly the entire room. Grimmjow jumped back and held his arms in front of him, to avoid being hit or injured by the pieces of debris that flew around the room. The Sexta was shocked by what he saw when the wind died down and he lowered his arms. Alexis was floating about what used to be the bed, her wings outstretched, her hair whipping about her body. The most notable feature was the crown of bone that now rested upon her forehead. It seemed to encircle her head with two dragon horns curving towards the back of her head and then turning up just before they reached the back of her head.

_'So, this is her true form....' _Grimmjow thought, unable to tear his gaze from Alexis's pale body. _'That crown.... it doesn't belong there, her Hollow side must have been forced to the surface somehow.' _

"Prepare to die, Sexta Espada.... Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez."

* * *

kai crazy: Again, forgive this late update. Only two chapters left in this story! And yes, I was being evil with that cliff hanger XD Deal with it! Suspense much.... Anyway, plz R&R!


	29. Free Me

kai crazy: Yes, I know, extra late on the updates... I am sorry! Color guard is winding down but that doesn't mean my rehearsal schedule has changed T_T It will be over next week thank you Kami! Anyway, this chappy is sorta sad...ish but the ending is a sweet relief and happy! Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

Claimer: I do own Haru, Ryuhime, Alexis, and Lexis.

"..." Normal speech

_'...' _Normal thoughts/flashback

_"..." _Connection thoughts/flashback

_**"..." **_Inner Hollow

* * *

"Prepare to die Sexta Espada.... Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez..." Alexis' bell like voice was warped by her Hollow side. Before Grimmjow could react, Alexis was in front of him, ready to bring Ryuhime down on his shoulder. The Espada's eyes widened and he drew Pantera almost automatically to block the powerful strike.

"Brat, what the fuck are you doing?" He snarled, blocking her swift strikes. Alexis said nothing as she continued to attack, almost as though he had never said anything to begin with. Grimmjow growled as he blocked, he knew Aizen was controlling her and it pissed him off. Aizen had him cornered and he knew it.... he knew the Sexta would never willingly attack her. Ryuhime sang through the air and Grimmjow looked up, jumping back to avoid the strike by an inch. When he looked up, Alexis was gone. He spun and found a cero charging in his face, he barely had time to wonder how she learned to do it. Panicking, Grimmjow grabbed her wrist and aimed the blast away, destroying the east wall of the room.

Alexis swung her leg up forcing the Sexta to release her before her foot connected with his arm.

"Fight back, Espada," Alexis spoke softly, though her voice was demanding.

"I am not going to fight you!" Grimmjow snapped at her.

"Then you will die," She struck out at him, stronger than before.

XxXxXx

Szayel and Renji paused in their fight when they felt the reiatsu's of Grimmjow and Alexis clash.

"Aizen is playing his trump card," Szayel spoke aloud.

"What do you mean 'trump card'?" Renji raised a tattooed eyebrow at the Octava.

"Aizen is in control of Alexis' body," He sighed. "He slipped into my lab and stole an experimental drug that, when ingested, allows the person to force the subject into submission through... whatever means they use and control them at will. More than likely, he had Kyoka Suigetsu enter her mind when she ingested the drug and shattered her spirit by corrupting her thoughts."

"Is there any way to break that control?" Renji asked.

"Two ways actually, the first is to kill the person in control..." Szayel smirked.

"And the second?" Szayel smiled and whispered to him.

XxXxXx

Grimmjow continued to dodge away from Alexis even though every cell in his body screamed for him to retaliate, to fight back. Her speed was on par with his and Ulquiorra's which shocked him at first. He had noticed earlier that Alexis had begun to cry as they fought, which told him that the real Alexis, the one he wanted, _his _Alexis was still in there somewhere; she was just being suppressed. She didn't want to fight him but Aizen was forcing her to and it was killing her on the inside.

"Snap out of it brat!" He snarled, shoving her back. "This isn't you!" He blocked her again and as a reflex, he moved to swing at her. "Fight him! Fight Aizen's control!"

"Shut up!" She cried, clutching at her head. "You abandoned me! You took Haru and left! Aizen said he'd protect me!" She dropped her hands and drew Ryuhime back as she flew at Grimmjow, tears streaming from her eyes.

"Is that what that bastard told you!?" The Sexta stopped Ryuhime with his bare hand, barely flinching when he felt the blade dig into his palm. "That's all a bunch of crap and you know it! He'll use you and then kill you for the Hougyoku!" He shoved her back, releasing her zanpaku-to as he did so. Alexis glared at him with her blank eyes and flew upwards, slamming into the crumbling ceiling. Grimmjow followed her up where they soon found themselves above the domes of Las Noches, hovering in the night sky. "If the only way to bring you to your senses is to fight you then so be it," He growled darkly. Using his bloodied hand, Grimmjow began to charge a cero, smirking bitterly as he formed it. "Gran Rey Cero!" He fired it at Alexis who barely flinched when she saw it. She summoned her powers as a Cursed Pure Being and made a barrier of her pure reiatsu, effectively blocking it for a few seconds. In that time, she formed her own cero and fired it into the center, causing an explosion. Grimmjow wasn't surprised when she came out unscathed.

"Was that it?" She cocked her head to the side.

"Far from it, brat," He smirked, flexing his fingers.

XxXxXx

"We may have to go and intervene," Stark muttered lazily to Uryu and Lilynette.

"Not just yet," Uryu sighed, pushing his glasses up. "Give Grimmjow a little longer, he'll figure it out."

"I hope so," Stark muttered, lying back in his bed.

"Is he always like this?" Uryu asked Lilynette.

"Yep, he's pretty lazy... even though he's the Primera," She laughed.

"I see..." A sweat drop appeared on his forehead.

XxXxXx

Grimmjow and Alexis continued to exchange blows, so powerful in fact that the shock ripped through their arms, straining the muscles to the point of breaking or tearing. The Sexta had cast aside his previous hesitations of fighting and now fought Alexis as he would any other opponent. A smile had spread across his face as he fought; he was actually enjoying this... even though he knew it was wrong to do so. As they fought, Grimmjow found his mind wandering back to five years ago, when he had watched Alexis and Ulquiorra training.

**Flashback**

_Grimmjow suppressed his reiatsu the best he could and hid atop one of the arches high above the training room. Alexis and Ulquiorra were just about to begin their training session and the Sexta was tense as he watched the two. The Cuatro was showing her the basics but Grimmjow knew that he would physically teach her right from wrong when it came to fighting with a zanpaku-to._

_'Here it goes,' He thought, watching carefully. Ulquiorra sonido'd in front of her and brought Murielago down on Ryuhime. Said zanpaku-to flew from Alexis's hands and clattered to the ground, leaving the girl unprotected._

_"Pick it up and try again," Ulquiorra told her, moving back to his original place. Alexis retrieved Ryuhime and adjusted her grip to match what Ulquiorra had shown her. Immediately, the Cuatro repeated his attack and found that Alexis was prepared as she quickly repelled him. Grimmjow knew that Ulquiorra appreciated quick learners, it meant less work and fast paced training as he could quickly move onto new things. The Sexta watched with delight as Alexis began to fight back against the pale Espada, though it was slightly ineffective as it was Ulquiorra's fighting style for the most part so he expected everything that was thrown at him. Satisfied with what he'd seen, Grimmjow left, smirking as he did so; she was going to be one hell of a fighter._

**End Flashback**

Grimmjow was brought back to the present when Alexis released a pain filled cry. He watched as she rose high into the air, clutching at her head as Ryuhime disappeared from her hands.

_"What's going on?" _He opened the connection to Urahara.

_"She's going berserk," _He replied, his voice strained. _"It's bad if even I can feel it here in the Living World. You have to stop her before she destroys herself and everything around her. She's pushing her power to the limit...." _Urahara trailed off.

_"How the hell do I stop her?" _Grimmjow demanded, his eyes fixed on Alexis.

_"Think, Grimmjow, what's the one thing you have never done for her? What have you never said to her?" _Urahara broke off before the Sexta could demand something else of him. The Espada shielded his face as the wind began to pick up and storm clouds rolled in over head. Lightning crashed around them as uncontrollable reiatsu poured from Alexis's body.

"Grimmjow!" The Sexta turned to see the others running towards him on foot, all down in the sands below.

"Get the fuck out of here!" He roared, knowing the humans wouldn't be able to stand much more exposure to the uncontrolled reiatsu.

"You have to stop her!" Szayel hissed as he and most of the Espada arrived along with Reina. "Aizen has been taken care of but the illusion is still over her and this is the result!"

"I don't know how to fucking stop her!" Grimmjow snarled, all the muscles in his body tensing when the weight of Alexis's reiatsu finally hit him.

"You're so dense," Nnoitra rolled his one visible eye.

"You've always known, Sexta," Ulquiorra sighed. Grimmjow looked down at the others, the Espada, and then at Alexis.

"That is the dumbest fucking thing in the world!" He growled, sheathing Pantera. He rose in the air to where Alexis was, ignoring the warm, burning sensation that now flowed through his body. He knew the others were being forced into their Resurreccion forms and knew it was only a matter of time before it happened to him. He moved closer, though it felt like he had lead weights tied to his legs because of how much reiatsu surrounded the woman. "Hey, brat, cool it!" He snarled when he was a few feet away. He saw her twist in pain and flinched back before continuing. "You're hurting everyone, take a look!" The woman cracked her eyes open and looked about wildly. Lightning lit up the area and she caught a glimpse of the Espada's in their Resurreccion forms and Ichigo with his Hollow mask.

"No, no, no, no. NOOOO!" She sobbed and Grimmjow held his arms in front of him, hissing when the reiatsu sliced through his armor like flesh like tiny blades. The Sexta saw that her flesh was becoming covered in tiny cuts and burns and realized she was hurting herself with her own power. Just as he was about to reach out, he felt his chest constrict and recoiled in surprise. He looked at Alexis and watched with wide eyes as she fell silent, blood trickling from her mouth. "Grimm....jow...." Her eyes narrowed and she reached towards him.

"Brat..." His breathing was slow and uneven as he watched her eyes slide shut. Alexis fell back and began to plummet to the ground. "No..." Grimmjow hurried after her and pulled her against his chest. They hit the ground hard, sending shockwaves through the sand as they did so. When the others arrived, they found Grimmjow kneeling with Alexis in his arms, her body limp and lifeless... just like his dream. "Don't you dare fucking die!" He whispered, cradling her to him carefully. The Arrancar's Resurreccion forms faded and they watched the Sexta as he desperately hugged her, rocking back and forth. "Wake up, brat!" Ichigo averted his eyes as well as some of the others, they had never seen Grimmjow like this before... but they knew he was just angry with himself.

"Think about Haru, he needs you! I need you...!" He buried his face in her shoulder as her wings began to fade away. "You can't leave me dammit!" He was surprised to find hot tears falling from his eyes but at the moment, he didn't care. "Don't die..." He could feel her heart slowing and his eyes widened. "ALEXIS!?!" He roared her name in anguish and held her tightly as the tears rolled down his cheeks, falling onto the woman's peaceful and pale face. Uryu hid his face against Ichigo's shoulder while said man wiped at his eyes.

"Alexis...." Szayel and the other Espada looked away. Grimmjow pressed his lips to the Cursed Being's and whispered her name again, praying to whatever God was there that she was alive. He gasped when he felt her heart beat against his chest and loosened his hold a little to look at her. Her eyes suddenly shot open and she drew in a deep, gasping breath.

"She lives...." Even Ulquiorra was surprised by this. Alexis took a few more deep breathes as her eyes fluttered and finally focused on Grimmjow's shocked face.

"Hello," She spoke softly.

"Hey," The Sexta replied, finally composing himself. "Don't you EVER fucking do that again, got it?" He growled, hugging her tightly. "We thought you fucking died!" And she technically had.

"I'm sorry," She whispered, looking up at him with tears in her eyes.

"I was so scared!" She clutched at his tattered jacket and sobbed as everyone gave soft sighs of relief.

"Let's go home," Ichigo said. Grimmjow nodded and stood, Alexis in his arms.

XxXxXx

Urahara was there to greet them upon their return and nearly fainted when he saw the state his daughter was in.

"Take her to her room," Urahara told Grimmjow. "Yoruichi will care for her," He nodded and wandered off with the dark skinned female following behind him. Grimmjow tried to stay awake as Yoruichi tended to his woman but his body was exhausted and he passed out sitting against the wall. Yoruichi smiled as she finished up and covered Alexis with a soft blanket. When she left, she met Urahara in the family room.

"He'll protect her," She told him. "No matter what."

"He's fallen hard for our little girl," He laughed. "I can't wait to see what happens next!" Yoruichi caught the meaning and grinned. This was only the beginning for Alexis and Grimmjow or rather... a new beginning.

XxXxXx

Alexis groaned as her eyes fluttered open. Immediately her head began to pound and the soreness of her body forced a gasp from her lips.

"Evening, Princesa," A rough and very sexy voice rumbled next to her. She shifted her eyes and found herself captured by the pair of steel-blue ones that were watching her.

"Grimmjow..." She smiled at him weakly. She reached out with a bandaged hand and he grasped it in his larger one, holding it gently. He was in his gigai so he could recover and also to avoid scaring Alexis.

"Go back to sleep, brat, you need the rest," He told her.

"Back in Hueco Mundo... you said my name," Grimmjow turned away then.

"Don't get used to it," He growled softly. The Sexta moved closer and slipped under the covers, allowing Alexis to situate herself at his side. He slid one arm around her shoulders and put the other behind his head as the silver haired woman rested her head on his chest.

"Thank you, Grimmjow," She murmured falling back to sleep.

"Quit saying that, it's fucking annoying," He grumbled, knowing she was already asleep. He closed his eyes and relaxed his body, glad that Alexis was back where she belonged; with him. He soon fell asleep, planning on how and when he would ask her to decide upon whether she wanted to be bound to him or not. He grinned in his sleep; he was going to enjoy messing with her until she recovered.

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kai crazy: I hope you liked it! Next chapter is the final one, it also includes the epilogue (killed that word XD). So, see you in the last and final chapter! Plz R&R


	30. Forbidden Bond, Mates

kai crazy: Here's chapter 30! I hope you enjoy! And this is my second hentai lemon in quite some time so go easy.

Disclaimer: I no own.

Claimer: I own Alexis, Lexis, Ryuhime, and Haru.

"..." Normal speech

_'...' _Normal thoughts

_"..." _Connection thoughts

_**"..." **_Inner Hollow

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**3 months later**

Alexis smacked Grimmjow's hand away when he tried to reach around her to snatch the fried fish she was preparing.

"Try it again and I'll hit something much more valuable," She warned him.

"Jeez, what happened to the shy brat I used to love?" He grumbled teasingly. He watched as her face flushed pink and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Why are you being so touchy for today, Grimmjow?" She sighed, placing the fish on a plate.

"I'm always like this," He grunted, his eyes following the fish. "But it only gets worse when we are all alone," As soon as she put the pan in the sink, the Sexta pressed his lips to her neck over his mark. His hand skillfully slipped through the apron and into her tank top to cup her breast. Alexis gasped and jerked forward, only to find her movements restricted by the Espada's arm around her waist.

"Stop it!" She hissed, biting her lip to stop from moaning. "Ichigo will be here with Haru any minute!"

"It's not like the kid hasn't seen us kissing before," Alexis felt his lips curl up in a smirk against her neck. Grimmjow easily removed the apron and spun the woman around in his arms. The tank top was loose enough that he could easily slide it down. He took advantage of this and tugged one side down along with her bra strap. Alexis scowled at him and he grinned as her breast was exposed to his hungry eyes. He bent down and scraped his teeth over the flesh, earning a soft gasp from his ever 'reluctant' woman.

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, stop it!" He gave her a look that said 'make me' and pulled her nipple into his hot mouth. Alexis let out a small cry and threw her head back as he suckled on her breast gently. His ears picked up the sound of a car pulling in and sighed as he released her and fixed her clothes. Alexis smacked him upside the head and he grinned, making her blush furiously. Soon, Haru raced into the house and jumped into Alexis' arms with a laugh; Ichigo and Uryu following after him shortly. "Thanks for watching him for me," She set Haru down and hugged both men, kissing both their cheeks.

"No problem," Ichigo nodded. "He said he was fine with staying for the week."

"Thanks," Alexis smiled. "We were just about to have lunch," The two men sat down and chatted with Grimmjow while they ate. Soon though, maybe too soon, it was time for them to leave. "Behave for Ichigo and Uryu, got it?" She kissed Haru's forehead.

"I will," He promised.

"You better or that new game you want isn't comin'," Grimmjow smirked. The child nodded and left with Ichigo and Uryu. The Sexta growled and pulled Alexis into his lap on the couch, wrapping his arms around her possessively when he did so. He pulled her into a heated kiss, loving how she melted against him almost immediately and sighed against his lips.

"What is it with you this week?" She chuckled when they separated.

"When someone has a woman like you around, it's hard to not touch," He grinned at her.

"All you've been doing is molesting me this week," She teased him.

"I don't see you fucking complaining, brat," Alexis pursed her lips and he laughed. "I know you want me," He lowered his mouth to her neck and nipped at the soft flesh. Before Alexis realized what had happened, she was pinned to the couch with Grimmjow hovering over her, grinning wickedly. The woman scowled at him and he only chuckled darkly as he lowered himself, burying his face in her neck as he held her to him. "You know I'm just teasing, brat," He whispered, kissing her neck.

"Last time you said that, you pretty much tore my shirt off," She huffed, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"That was for a different reason though," He grunted, continuing to kiss her neck. The pair stayed like this for some time before Grimmjow raised his head and pressed their lips together, forcing a small groan from Alexis as he pressed down. The Sexta easily shifted and sat up, never breaking contact as he grabbed Alexis's legs and moved them to his waist. The woman gave a small moan when the Espada pulled her closer and purposely rolled his hips up. "Fuck," He growled, kissing down her neck. "Do you know how fucking much I want you, brat?"

"You know I can't, Grimmjow," She whispered, a blush dusted across her face. Even though she had forgiven him, she was still frightened of him. She knew he did things based on pure instinct and that was exactly what kept her from allowing Grimmjow to take her. She was afraid he would become rough, but the Espada swore he wouldn't, he would kill himself before he hurt her like that. The other thing was Haru. The boy knew she and Grimmjow were together but Alexis didn't want things to progress too quickly for the young child.

"I know," He groaned and fell back. He grabbed Alexis by the waist and pulled her down against his chest. "I gotta wait until you're ready," The woman smiled and leaned forward, pressing her lips to his jaw line. He growled at her lovingly and rested his hands on her lower back, closing his eyes as she melded into him. She was shorter than him by a good foot and yet, she fit so perfectly against his body; he loved it! He felt her breath against his bare chest and sighed, she had fallen asleep. Ever since she recovered from what happened in Hueco Mundo, Alexis had been taking long naps during the day. Urahara said she was trying to regain her energy because of how much she expanded. He had told Grimmjow to be patient, the process would take some time and it had; he could tell she was almost at top strength again. The Sexta watched as Alexis slept a small smirk on his face. This woman could be feisty when she wanted to be and he loved when she was since he could get such a rise out of her. _'Soon, you'll be mine forever,' _He thought, his eyes locked on the mark he'd given her nearly four months ago. _'Very soon….' _

XxXxXx

Grimmjow kissed Alexis quickly as he went upstairs to shower before dinner. The Sexta stripped quickly and got into the shower, shivering when he realized the water hadn't warmed up yet. Once it did, he washed up and shut the water off, stepping out and wrapping a towel around his waist. He dried off, dressed in a pair of flannel pants and headed downstairs without bothering with his hair. It wasn't like they were going out or had guests, so he didn't care about his appearance too much. Alexis set his plat out once he sat down and sat across from him after taking the apron off. They ate in silence as always and Grimmjow remained in his seat as the silver haired woman washed the dishes.

"Is there something you want?" She asked him, tensing slightly. The Espada rarely ever remained in the dining room after he had eaten and if he did, it was to talk with Haru or a guest.

"Not really," He muttered. "What's for dessert?" Alexis heard the perverseness behind the question and restrained herself from going and smacking him.

"What would you like?" She knew she would regret asking him.

"Hmmm…. I think I'd like to have you," He growled, his eyes racking over her backside.

"Sorry, I'm not on the menu," She replied, deciding to play along.

"I think you should be," Alexis continued doing the dishes. She barely heard the chair scrape the floor as the Espada got up, walked around the table and closed the short distance between them in a few quick strides. "You'd be one hell of a treat, brat," He wrapped his arms around her waist, making her jump.

"Grimmjow…" She warned returning to her task.

"Yes?" Alexis rolled her eyes. "I'm just watching," The woman rolled her eyes again and finished the dishes. She stepped away from him and walked into the living room, a small, teasing smile on her face. _'Fuck!' _He groaned mentally and followed her, resisting the urge to basically jump her then and there.

"I'm going to go change," Alexis told him after a few minutes. The Sexta nodded, keeping his eyes trained on the TV so he wasn't tempted to follow and watch her as she changed. When she returned, she wore a black silk night shirt with gold lining and matching bottoms.

'_Kami, it's a button up!' _Grimmjow swore to himself. "Are you trying to fucking tempt me, brat?" He growled huskily. "If so, then it's working," He looked at her slowly, his eyes becoming glazed with lust. Alexis blushed and hid her face only to have her body pulled into the Espada's lap. "You know this outfit turns me on," He huffed, twirling a lock of hair around his finger. The woman smiled innocently and Grimmjow knew she had worn it on purpose. "You're playing with fire, brat, and you're about to get burned."

"Maybe I like playing with fire," She shot back at him. Grimmjow arched an eyebrow at her and a twisted grin formed on his lips.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," He shut the television off, gathered her in his arms and went upstairs to their room. He didn't bother with the lights as he shut the door; they both had excellent night vision, though Grimmjow's senses were dulled by his gigai. He put her on the bed and crawled over her, kissing her hungrily. "Want my gigai on or off?" He growled, kissing along her jaw.

"O-off," She told him, taking a shaking breath. Grimmjow wasted no time in getting off the bed, slipping from his gigai and switching clothes with it. He dragged the limp body into the bathroom and returned to his lover, noting with vague annoyance that she didn't meet his gaze. She turned her head and looked at him, a defiant fire blazing in their depths; it was the look he longed to see from her. He pressed their lips together as his hands travelled over her silk clad form, taking pleasure in her shivers and groans.

"I haven't even touched you yet, brat," He teased, nibbling on her lip. Alexis moaned in response and Grimmjow slipped his tongue into her open mouth, exploring the territory he so rarely got to do so. Her hands tangled in his semi-dry hair as he licked and nipped down to her neck, kissing his claim mark before leaving a series of love bites across her throat. He shuddered as she moaned beneath him and fingered a button on her shirt. He looked up at her and she blinked, telling him he had permission to take it off. He unbuttoned it quickly and pushed it aside to gaze at her breasts. Alexis blushed and turned her head away. Sure, Grimmjow had seen her naked before but it was never when they were engaged in sexual activities.

His fingers danced over the quivering globes of flesh, making her groan and thrust her chest forward, almost begging him to touch them more. He complied with that wish and palmed the pert globes, making Alexis cry out in shock and arch up from how searing hot his hand was. Grimmjow smirked and massaged her breast, while his mouth trailed down to its twin, licking and nipping the top. He moved down and swirled his tongue around the hard nipple thoughtfully before pulling it into his mouth. Alexis cried out and tugged on his hair as he suckled harshly, his other hand pinching its twin.

"Do you realize how long I've waited for this moment, brat?" Grimmjow growled, pressing kisses to her other breast. "Five years, brat, five fucking years! You plagued my mind all that time, I couldn't stop fucking thinking about you. When I came back for you, it only got worse; I had to be near you!" One hand slid down her body, dancing along the waist band of her pants. "I ain't stopping now, brat, so don't even try," Her hand shot out to grab his wrist but he pinned both hands just as the other went down her pants. She squirmed under him, blushing hard. "Look at me," He growled as he pressed against her through her wet panties. Alexis instinctively spread her legs as far as she could with Grimmjow basically straddling her. "Heh, your body knows you want this as much as I do."

Alexis opened her eyes slightly, her lips parted and plump from the abuse they'd taken from Grimmjow. The Sexta's eyes bore into her duel pair and she found herself trapped in their depths as his fingers slipped into her panties. She squirmed when he brushed them over her and gasped when he rubbed the pad of his finger over her swollen sex. Alexis whimpered and moaned as Grimmjow's fingers teased her, almost to the point she was begging him to penetrate her. The Espada held her gaze as he slid one finger into her heat, growling when he found her tight and yet very welcoming.

"Relax, dammit," He growled at her. She shut her eyes tight when he slid that finger in and out, arching up when he suddenly added a second finger. A strange tightness began to build in her core and she sobbed, clutching at his shoulders hard. Grimmjow pulled his fingers back with a smirk, depriving her of that sweet release she now sought. "You should be happy, brat, we're about to make history," He grunted, tugging at her pants. "An Arrancar and a Cursed Being of Light…. Two beings similar and opposite… one of light, the other of darkness." He pulled the articles of clothing off her body, leaving her bare beneath him.

"My kind has never mated with anyone outside our own," Alexis panted, kissing his shoulder. "It was considered a sin."

"Yeah, well, I don't give a fuck," He growled, tugging his own pants off. "Sin or not, you're mine to claim," He kissed her hard. "And no one can stop me," He grabbed her hands and laced their fingers together. Without another word, Grimmjow slammed into the woman beneath him, tearing a strangled cry from her throat, which he quickly quieted. Without waiting for her to adjust, the Sexta began to move, taking her with fast, shallow thrusts. Alexis moaned and cried, bucking helpless under his larger frame. Grimmjow kissed her lips, her neck, her chest and her shoulders, paying special attention to his claim mark. He picked up a much faster pace, pulling out almost fully before slamming back in, her cries and moans becoming music to his ears.

"Ngh…! Gr-Grimm…!" Alexis moaned as she arched into him, that feeling of tightness returning. "Oh…. Grimmjow… AHHH! GRIMMJOW!!!!" She arched entirely off the bed as her body was taken by her first orgasm. Grimmjow rode it out, his teeth bared against her throat as her muscles clenched around him. He stopped his movements suddenly, holding off his own orgasm, however painful it was to do so. Alexis's eyes widened when she heard his thoughts and he pulled back to look at her.

"Don't you dare deny me this right!" He grunted. "I've waited long enough," Alexis kissed him softly.

"I want this as much as you do, Grimm," She smiled. "Do it," She turned her head, exposing her neck to him. Grimmjow grinned and began to move again, moaning as he sucked and nipped at the area above the claim mark.

"Fuck! Alexis!" He moaned out and bit down on her neck. Alexis cried out and squeezed his hands, trying desperately to distract herself from the pain. She felt him release his seed deep inside her and moan at the sense of fullness it gave. _"With this mark, I claim you as my own. I will never waver from you or you from me and swear to protect you. You are my mate… for all eternity…" _Alexis sighed softly as he infused the wound with his reiatsu and pulled away. He pulled out and fell onto his side, pulling Alexis to him when he did so.

"Grimm…!" She winced when he gripped behind her leg. The Sexta narrowed his eyes and turned on the bedside lamp. Alexis clenched her legs together but Grimmjow easily pulled them apart, his eyes widening when he saw the forming bruises there.

"Fuck! Next time fucking tell me if I am fucking hurting you!" He growled softly. He pulled one leg up and pressed soothing kisses to the bruises and lapped up the still fresh blood on her thighs that had come from his taking her virginity. He finally shut the lights off and pulled her against him.

"Love you, Grimmjow," Alexis whispered as she fell asleep.

"Yeah, I know ya do," He grunted, fingers dancing up and down her spine. _'So do I, brat…' _He thought as he was taken by the sweet darkness that was sleep.

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kai crazy: This is the last chapter. The epilogue will be in the next chapter so, I guess you could say next one is the last chapter. Anyway, plz R&R!


	31. Epilogue

kai crazy: Sorry this is so late! I've been busy! Anyway, this is the last and final chapter of Cursed Being of Light! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

Claimer: I own Alexis, Lexis, Haru, Ryuhime, Natsumi and Reina.

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**5 years later**

"I'm home, mom!" A voice called out with a laugh as the door slammed shut.

"I'm in the kitchen!" A female voice called back. The boy laughed and darted into the kitchen, only to find himself being lifted into the air by his backpack.

"What've I told you about slamming the door?" A rough voice growled at him.

"Not to do it?" He replied meekly.

"Right, so why did you slam it… _again_?" A blue eyebrow arched at the boy.

"Uh…" He was smacked upside the head by the man holding him off the ground. "Ow! Okay, I won't do it again!" He whined, though he had a stubborn look in his silver eyes.

"Grimmjow, leave Haru alone," The female voice snapped. "Haru, listen to Grimmjow," The Espada grumbled and set Haru on his feet again.

"Nii-san!" A little voice squealed. Haru turned and got an armful of a blue haired little girl.

"Natsumi!" He laughed hugging his sister. They were technically half siblings because of what Haru was and his last name which was still Kurosaki. Natsumi was Alexis and Grimmjow's 5 year old daughter, who had her father's temper at times and both her parent's good looks. She had long, messy teal hair which had lavender tints on the tips and fell in soft waves to her shoulders. She also had very intense blue eyes with a silver outline. She had canines like her father but it was uncertain as to what she was or if she had any powers. They wouldn't worry about that until she was older when said powers were sure to mature.

Grimmjow was very protective of his baby girl, so much so, he wouldn't even let Szayel near her when he and some of the other Espada came to visit. Alexis understood his behavior and did nothing to stop him, though she did still protest when he became overly protective or possessive of her and their daughter. Haru and Natsumi ran off to play, leaving Grimmjow and Alexis by themselves in the kitchen.

"He's getting bigger every damn day we see him," Grimmjow sighed, walking towards Alexis.

"He'll be in high school before we know it," Alexis said as he wrapped his arms around her. "And then he'll be dating…"

"Don't even start, brat," He growled playfully. "That's Ichigo's problem anyway. He's only our problem when he comes to stay for a month." It had been worked out that Haru would remain with them at least one or two months out of the year. He smirked a little then. "We have one strange family; I just hope Haru doesn't turn gay from staying with Ichigo and that Quincy." Alexis smacked his arm a little.

"We may be strange, but you love us anyway," Alexis laughed, turning around and getting on her tiptoes to kiss him. Grimmjow leaned down and captured her lips in a loving kiss.

"Yeah, you're right," He murmured when they pulled apart. "I do love ya," He hugged her tightly and looked out the window at the setting sun. It was a beautiful way to end the day.

XxXxXx

Grimmjow stared out the window of his and Alexis's bedroom that night, looking up at the full moon. He uncrossed his arms and held out his hand, unclenching his fist to reveal a silver engraved bracelet. He smirked a little; Ichigo had given this to him during his first Christmas in the Living world. Alexis had the one Ichigo used to have and boy did she go off on him for lying about what it said on the back. Grimmjow's had his and Alexis's names on it, matching the one Alexis had. Grimmjow and Ichigo had gotten her a necklace a few years back, well more of a dog tag, with her name on it… with one tiny difference. It said Alexis Jaegerjaquez.

~fin

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kai crazy: Well, what do you think? Good story right? Anyway, I am in the process of re-writing the sequel to Grimmjow's kitten, so never fear, it will be here soon! Anyway, plz R&R! I love you all, espeically all the reviewers who have stuck with me throughout the story! Thank you all so much!


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